Highway to Hell
by AnaMarieWest
Summary: A different version of Twilight. Bella's not as sweet and innocent as she makes herself seem! AU/ J/A J/B P/C EM/R E/- Everyone is a vamp except for Bella. EDITING HIATUS
1. Chapter 1: First Sight

**Highway to Hell**

**A/N: Potential readers: I'm Ana, and this is my story "Highway to Hell!" This is a different version of Twilight, so I guess it's considered AU… I'm not sure!**

**This is the prologue and chapter 1, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANYTHING DEALING WITH IT! I JUST REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, LIKE JASPER!**

**This is a pretty long first update, hope it's not boring to you guys! Please enjoy!**

_UPDATE: 1-15-2013: This story is undergoing major, major construction! I am in the process of editing (and possibly re-writing a few of) the chapters. However, please do not let this stop you from reading further as the story is still going! As of today, three new chapters have been added and more are on the way!_

_Chapter 1: First Sight _

* * *

_**Prologue **_

_"She's just a child! We can't kill her!" my mate screamed, crouching protectively over the young child she'd brought home._

_"Well we can't keep it, either!" I yelled back. _

_Charlotte's—my mate—eyes opened wide, and she took a step back, surprised at my outburst. Up until that point, I had been keeping my cool._

_If she thought I was going to let her win this one, she was wrong._

* * *

_Two hours passed, and my mate was still standing protectively over the child, ready to attack if need be; while I was pacing, thinking of ways to get rid of the thing._

_No doubt people were out looking for it, wondering where she could have gotten off to. Her parents were probably in a state of panic while my mate was trying to keep it._

_"This is ridiculous even for you, Char."_

_"This is heartless even for **you**, Peter," she retorted._

_I rolled my eyes._

_This was going to be a long night, I knew._

* * *

_As the night wore on, I realized I was fighting a losing battle. Charlotte wasn't going to back down on this one, no matter how much I pushed. __Eventually, I gave in with a sigh; I wasn't going to fight my mate._

_"If we're going to keep her, we can't go around calling her 'it'," I whispered, resigned. "And I don't want any part of the caring for her. That's **all** on you."_

_Charlotte squealed and threw me to the ground, covering me in kisses. _

_Thirty more minutes passed before the girl finally woke up, her chocolate eyes wide and watery._

_"Its okay, sugar, my name is Charlotte. What's yours?" Char asked, stepping closer to the girl._

_"Isabella, but I like Bella." Her voice was high and quick, as if she were scared, but she scooted as close to Charlotte as she could. _

_"Bella, do you remember what happened to your mommy and daddy?" __I asked, and she shook her head, the tears then starting to fall from her eyes. I stepped closer, her tears making me want to comfort her._

_This little, human girl was supposed to grow up to eventually become the source of life for either me or one of the other thousands of vampires roaming the earth. Instead, I found myself getting lost in her big, brown eyes, wanting to bring as much comfort to her as I possibly could. __I wanted—**needed**—to protect her. I had to._

_**Mine**, my thoughts echoed in my head. **Ours**._

_Charlotte tore her eyes away from the little girl for a moment to glance at me, a cocky, little smirk on her lips. With that, I knew she sensed the changes that were happening inside me. I knew she wasn't going to let me live this one down. Ever._

_"Well, Charlotte and I like you, and we want to keep you safe. Can we keep you?" I asked her._

_Even though we would've kept her if she said no, I just wanted to make sure this was what she wanted, but she surprised me and Char with, "Will you be my new mommy?" looking as hopeful as can be._

_The one simple question was all it took. Isabella was ours._

_"I would love nothing more," Charlotte told her, scooping Bella up in to her arms, hugging her as tightly as was possible._

_God, help us all when this backfires. _

* * *

**Chapter 1: First Sight (Bella's POV)**

I opened my eyes from a dreamless sleep, and the first thing I saw was my mom and dad's perfect smiles.

I groaned and threw a pillow over my face. "I don't want to go school today!" I yelled threw the pillow.

Being the new girl absolutely sucked, no matter how many times I've gone through it.

It wasn't that I was scared, or nervous. It was just the fact that I have to go through a shit-load of rumors every time. I never started at the beginning of the school year, which meant there _had_ to be a big reason for the sudden change of school. We could never be moving just to move.

"Too bad, Izzy. Get up!"

My dad, Peter, took the pillow from my head and my covers. "We will not start this school year off bad, like the others," he mock-whispered in my ear as if his mate couldn't hear him. "First impressions always matter."

I sat up and stared at them. They're my "adoptive" parents, but we're going to be telling the towns people of Forks, Washington, that they were my Uncle and Aunt, my parents having died when I was young—which _wasn't_ a lie— and they took me in because they were my only family, which they truly were.

Charlotte had long, blonde hair and she was a good 5'7 with amazing curves and stunning ruby-red eyes. Peter stood at 6'4 with a lean, muscular type body, ruby-red eyes to match his wife's and dark brown hair.

...And they were _both_ vampires.

I guessed I should have been freaked out by the fact that they ate humans, but I wasn't. I mean, I ate living things to stay alive, too, just not the same living things that they ate...because I _wasn't_ a cannibal.

Besides, they were the only family I had. If I chose to be scared of them and not want to be with them, I would have no one. I also knew they wouldn't hurt me and that they loved me as if I were they're own, and that was all that really mattered in the end when it came to family. What they were wouldn't change anything.

"Go take a shower and get dressed," Charlotte, my mom, finally snapped when I didn't move fast enough for her. "The faster you get to school, the faster it'll end and we can take you to meet the Cullen's," she said.

I wasn't really looking forward to meeting them. From what I knew, the God of freaking war lived with them, and from the stories I've been told, he was not one to hesitate when it came to killing someone, especially when they posed a threat_—which, _as a human that knew of the vampire world and was still living, I did.

Then again, his brother _was_ my father, so I _shouldn't_ have anything to worry about…

"They won't eat you. They drink from animals, chiquita, including the Major," Peter said as if reading my mind. "He's a chill guy now, sweets."

I sighed, got up from my bed when they left, and headed straight toward the bathroom, brushing my teeth before I did anything else.

.

.

.

I brushed the tangles out of my hair and then got dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a green, long-sleeved 'Kiss me, I'm not Irish' shirt and some all black Chuck Taylor's—high tops.

I looked at myself in my full body mirror and sighed. My hair was dark brown with red highlights and a side bang that covered my left eye slightly. It was waist length, and I usually got yelled at from my science teachers about the hazard it posed when we did labs. I really liked it. Today, I had the bang pinned back and the rest of it pulled in to a loose ponytail, having no clue what to do with it.

My body was a different story altogether. I didn't like it at all. At least, not when any of it was revealed. With jeans and long-sleeves, I could see the appeal. I was as tall as Charlotte, and I was pretty curvy. My boobs weren't too big, but I thought that was okay because my ass was amazing. With the right clothes, I could appreciate it.

"You know, I really hate it when you two have those super secret conversations," I said, making my presence known even though they smelled and heard me coming before I even got down the stairs.

I sat on Peter's lap and began eating the omelet that was in front of him. For a vampire, he was a decent cook. I wished I could say the same for Charlotte, who knew absolutely _nothing_ about cooking.

"Well, that's too bad, but since you're a part of this family I guess you deserve to know that you will be going to school with the Cullen's," Peter announced, and I almost died, choking on a chunk of my omelet that I'd just stuffed into my mouth. He patted my back and kept talking as if I wasn't almost dying on his lap. "It turns out we won't be going to them after school, they'll be coming to us. We decided to keep you a secret, so you can introduce yourself." He smiled down at me when I started choking on my orange juice.

I glared in return.

"Stop that, Peter," Charlotte scolded. "They're good 'people,' Sug, don't let your father scare you. If they weren't good people, your father wouldn't let you anywhere near them." She rubbed my back soothingly before handing me the keys to Peter's motorcycle.

I squealed, "Mom, are _you_ serious!"

I hugged her and then threw my arms around Peter. "Dad, you're seriously letting me drive it?" I hugged his neck even tighter, and he laughed. I'd gotten my license for it a few months back, but he had never actually let me use it.

"Get to school before I change my mind," he said.

He didn't have to tell me twice. With one last hug for them both, I rushed out, grabbing my backpack on the way.

.

.

.

I got to school in a matter of minutes and parked next to a shiny silver Volvo. I hated them. I just couldn't see the appeal to them, and standing next to that one made me hate them even more.

I took my helmet off, fixed up my hair a bit, and then removed the leather jacket Charlotte let me borrow, it getting pretty hot inside it, before heading toward the office.

A group of people were standing slightly in the way of the door, and I was sure my heart stopped for a second. Peter showed me a picture he had with the Major, so I would know his face, and he'd told me countless times that I had nothing to be scared of, but with their past and everything he'd told me about Jasper, I couldn't help but get scared since I was finally around him.

No matter how "chill" of a guy he was, it still didn't feel right to address him the way I would any other person.

Who knew how he would take that?

I put my hands behind my back and looked him in the eye respectfully. "Excuse Me," I murmured. "I'm trying to go in there."


	2. Chapter 2: I'm Shaking in My Boots!

**Highway to Hell**

**A/N: This story seems to be doing pretty good so far! I'm excited! (:**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything dealing with the Twilight Saga! I just really, really, really like The Major!**

_Chapter 2: I'm shaking in my boots! _

* * *

I guessed I shouldn't have been shocked with the color of the Major's eyes, what with all the times Peter and Charlotte told me he'd stopped feeding from humans, but I was. I was finally convinced that he wasn't going to hurt me, but I didn't really like the honey gold, either. It didn't really fit him. Not like red would have.

Was it weird that half of me was dying—no pun intended—to see him with red eyes and the other half wanted to get on her knees and thank God he'd gone veggie?

"_What_ are you staring at?" Someone's snarl brought me out of the staring competition I was having with him. I turned my attention to a dark-haired pixie.

She looked to be five 'one, very rich, and considering the protective hand she had on the Major's chest, a jealous bitch.

_This_ was Alice. I could already understand why Charlotte didn't like her.

I snorted. "Calm it down, Alice. I'm not going to try and steal your beau," I told her, grinning. Feeling as though my welcome was over, I began to skip my way to the office.

So much for being respectful.

"Hello, how can I help you sweetheart?" the lady at the desk, Ms. Cope I learned, asked with a weird half smirk, half frown, on her face.

I smiled brightly, said, "Yes, I'm new here. Isabella Swan," and watched her eyes narrow as she tried to read something off me. _Huh, guess I'm too happy,_ I thought.

"Aw, yes, here you are." She handed me a piece of paper, smiling fully now. "Have all your teachers sign this and bring it back after your last class, okay?" she told me in a very slow voice.

That was another reason why I hated school. The teachers that make you feel utterly stupid. None the less, I grinned even bigger.

"O-kay, Ms. Cope, th-ank y-ou," I told her just as slow and watched as her smile faltered, jaw locked, and her eyes turned into tiny slits.

I turned to leave before I could get in trouble and headed for my first class, English, only to suddenly find myself pinned up against a wall.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you better stay away from us."

I opened my eyes after the impact my head had with the wall, and looked in to some black ones. Alice. The hallway was clear, the firs bell having sounded minutes ago. I hadn't expected this to happen, though I probably should have after what I'd said, but I figured now was as good as time as any if something like this was going to happen.

No witnesses.

"We don't like it when people get too close and start sticking their noses in places they have no business being," she hissed lowly. "I advice you quite while you're ahead."

All fear of them was, in that moment, gone. I wasn't raised to let people walk all over me or scare me in to submission, so I wasn't going to go changing that now, even if the "people" were vampires.

"Ali, I don't think Carlisle would appreciate you threatening the new student, especially when you've got such a big secret to keep, no?" I asked her, widening my eyes to seem innocent.

I snorted, innocent my ass. No, I definitely _wasn't_ innocent.

All fear of them was in that moment gone. I wasn't raised to let people walk all over me, so I wasn't going to go changing that now, even if the "people" were vampires.

"You don't know what you're talking about. I think you should just listen to what she said and walk away, Bella," was spat icily my way, emphasis on "Bella."

Y_ou know my name! I shaking in my boots,_ I thought, internally rolling my eyes.

I looked over the pixie and saw a tall blonde, about an inch or two shorter than Peter. She was stunning in her, and I wondered how I'd missed _her_. She didn't seem like the type that was easily glanced over.

"You're right. I have no idea what I'm talking about," I agreed.

While they continued to yell at me, pinning me further into the wall, I managed to snake my hand into my back pocket and take out my lighter. Honestly, what was the point of being a vampire if you couldn't stop a human from getting the one thing they could kill you with?

I flicked the lighter open and managed to singe the pixie's hair before she backed off and realized what was happening. Both of them looked shell shocked, but before they could react, a couple of janitor's made their way down the hall.

"Come after me again, and I'll burn both of you to pixie dust," I whispered as the janitor's walked past, waving at their hello.

I grinned at them and opened my eyes wide again, "innocence" coming out of me left and right. I shouldn't be taunting them, knowing what they could do to me, but they were bitches and it was fun.

"Buh-bye know," I skipped the whole way to class, all bubbly and happy.

**Lunch**

By lunch time, I was the talk of the school and wished everyone would shut their damn mouth's about me. One rumor, that was getting on my nerves more than all the rest, was that I was dating some fellow called Mike Newton. I wasn't even sure how that got started. He'd asked me out a few times, I said _no_ each time, and yet we were going out.

Mike Newton was all blue-eyed, baby-faced and cute, but he was annoying. He was like a puppy on a leash, and I felt bad for the next girl he got a crush on.

I walked into the cafeteria, and it got noticeably quieter as I walked toward the lunch line. I couldn't wait for them for find something or someone else to spend their time talking about. I rolled my eyes at the people who stared. Instead of being Isabella Swan-Whitlock, I felt like Madonna or someone equally as famous.

After a good five minute wait, I was finally able to get my food before I went to sit with my new friend, Angela.

"Hey, Bella!"

I liked her well enough. I didn't see us being friends forever, but she was a sweet girl and the only that wasn't concerned about me or what I did. The only thing that didn't sit too well with me was that she was a hugger, and each time she pulled me in for one, she failed to notice my stiffening up and wishing her away.

I was too nice to _actually_ try to stop her, though, so the constant hugging was a lot my fault.

"This is Jessica and Lauren," she introduced us, although it wasn't necessary.

I'd met Jessica and Lauren in French. As they were the main ones talking about me and question me on my life prior to Forks, I didn't like them. I couldn't decide which of them was more annoying. Jessica, for the most part, was nice, but if she squealed out an "ohmygod" one more time, I was going to kill myself. Lauren, simply put, was a bitch. All her comments were mostly snide remarks and assumptions on how I was before moving. Her voice was also...I couldn't even describe it, but I didn't like it.

Still, I sat down at a lunch table with them, and we just...talked. Angela and I debated over which books were better which books were better—Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre—while Lauren and Jessica alternated between trying to get some "dirt" on me and gawking at everything with a penis within eyeshot. All was well until the Cullen's decided to grace us all with their presence. The cafeteria didn't go silent like it did for me because it was filled with the whispers of everyone inside it.

I rolled my eyes when Rosalie and Alice glared at me and turned back to Angela.

"I don't believe Mr. Rochester loved Jane even half as much as Mr. Darcy loved Elizabeth. That's not even possible," I said, picking up our conversation where we'd left of. "I don't think the two are as good as match as Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth are, either."

Angela's eyes narrowed. It was the meanest I'd probably ever see her look. "And why, pray tell, is Mr. Darcy _so_ much better than Mr. Rochester? How can you not see the appeal of Mr. Rochester, yet you can see it in Fitzwilliam who is, by modern standards, an utter douchebag?"

"And Rochester isn't?" I questioned, failing to see how she _couldn't_ see what a dick the man truly was. "Honestly, if he..."

"Ohmygod," Jessica squealed, cutting me off.

Where was a rope when you needed on?

"The Cullen's are trying to get your attention!" she continued, as if that was the greatest thing that could ever possibly happen to a person.

I stared at her for a second. "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked when she didn't get to the point of her statement, wondering if the pause was to give me to jump up and down with joy or something. Of course, I already knew they would want to talk to me, since I knew about the "secret"

Jessica looked irritated that I wasn't playing along. "I'm talking about the fact that they've been staring at you since they got here! It's so obvious that they're interested in you!"

"I'm sorry. I fail to see your point," I replied.

Jessica glared and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get anything out, Lauren jumped in with, "Oh, stop acting like you don't care already and be happy that they're even paying attention to you. I'm sure they don't usually give a rat's ass about plain girls like you."

"It's about time," Angela congratulated me, "but seriously, the Cullen's are staring you down," she whispered in my ear, so the Cullen's don't accidentally hear. Not that whispering would help. I looked up and true to her word; the vamps were staring at me, giving me their best "come hither" looks. I sighed and got up and walked at an agonizingly slow pace. Everyone in the cafeteria seemed to have stopped talking, hell, I wondered if any of them were breathing, as I made my way to the table with all the beautiful people.

"Wow, Lauren, how many times have you gotten rejected by one of them? Someone could probably taste your sour grapes from a mile away," I said in reply, smirking at the way her cheeks tinged a bright pink. She was going to say something else, but I didn't let her. "Honestly, Lauren, you should just move on already. They're never going to want you, and there's no point in crying over spilled milk, sweet pea."

By the way she stormed off, I figured she didn't really like what I had to say. I chuckled quietly as Jessica went running after her, and Angela shook her head, trying to hard to keep from smiling. "That was mean, crushing her hopes like that."

I grinned. "So is letting her live in the delusion that there could maybe, one day be a chance for her."

"Touche," was Angela's response, now not fighting the smile _or_ the laugh. "They _have_ been staring you down, though."

I played dumb. "Who?"

"The Cullen's," she said, rolling her eyes. "Are you going to, I don't know, go over there or something?"

I asked, "Should I?"

She shrugged. "Personally, I wouldn't, but we're nothing alike."

"Obviously," I muttered, recalling our conversation from just minutes ago. She rolled her eyes again, most likely thinking the same thing as me, and I shrugged. "I guess so. I've kind of had it with people staring and gossiping all day. I'm going to nip this shit in the bud, starting with them."

She shook her head. "That'll only draw _more_ attention to you."

I shrugged again. That I knew, but I really, really wanted to go over there and see what kind of trouble I could stir up. "I know, but I'm going to do it anyway."

With that, I began to make my way over there, a small, little smirk on my face.

I didn't even mind the stares and whispers this time.

When I reached their table, I sat in the extra seat that I knew had been pulled up just for me, and my smirk grew just a little bit bigger. By the time I'd gotten comfortable, everyone was back to doing their own thing. I was old news.

_These people sure do move on quickly around here,_ I thought.

"Hey." I smiled, not daring a glance at the Major. I wasn't feeling all _that_ bold yet. "I'm Isabella Swan, new girl," I introduced myself. "Though, I have a feeling you all already knew that."

"Do you know why you're here?" a bronze-haired boy asked me. Edward the mind reader.

I rolled my eyes. That was stupid.

"To get an education," I told him seriously, leaving the 'duh' hanging in the air. I was beginning to see that I played the naive role really well. "Why else would I be here? Surely not to cause trouble if that's what you're thinking." I smirked. I played the role well, but I could never keep it up.

Teasing and taunting was more my scene.

"What secret do you know?" Was the question that came next, fierce and straight to the point.

My eyes snapped to the left, wide-eyed with genuine fear for a second. The Major was staring at me, waiting for my answer. I didn't like the way he looked at me, like he'd snap my neck and drain me any minute now. I swallowed thickly and bit back my fear, mentally pulling up my big girl panties. I wasn't going to let him get to me, not while we were all having so much fun.

My smirk was back full force, then, cocky and teasing.

"I'll tell you all you want to know if you guys play a game with me!" I rushed out the words, trying to make myself seem nervous to them all, though I didn't even try to fool the Major. I knew what he could do, so there was no point. It was time to have some fun. "I promise. _Anything_." I raised an eyebrow, challenging.

It took a few seconds, but they eventually let out a huff of irritation at the same time, and I clapped lightly in mock excitement.

_Challenge accepted._

"Okay, our game is called 'Who were they'. My best friend and I made it up back home in Texas." That was a lie. I had no best friend, though I was from Texas. It was all a part of _my_ game. "The point of the game is to find a group of people and write them an all new past then the one they actually have," I explained and studied all of them, making sure they understood. They all nodded, and I concluded with, "I'll go first so you can see how it works."

I quickly began to retell everything Peter had told me of them.

"Rosalie, you have this...glamorous, old New York vibe that you give off," I started, and her face hardened even more if that were even possible. "I don't know what it is, but I feel like you belong in 1915 Rochester, New York. And Emmett," I said, chuckling. "You seem like the type of person who would go and get attacked by a bear. Isn't _crazy_ that I get that kind of vibe from you?"

I could tell they were growing steadily alarmed by what I was saying, so I went on. "Alice, dear…you're fucking crazy. Obviously, guys, she got placed in to an asylum, went even crazier, and whatever happens after that I don't really care. Edward…you died of the Spanish Influenza. I'm sorry. That's such a horrible thing, isn't it?"

Messing with Major—Jasper, as I needed to start calling him—was, without a doubt, the most stupid thing a person could ever do in their life. You honestly had to be the biggest idiot in the world to do it.

_Well, I never claimed to be smart,_ was went through my head as I went on.

"Blondie here I was a Major in the confederate army," I declared. That definitely got a rise out of him. "God, what I think happens next is so horrible that I don't even want to go on!" I blubbered, purposely putting on my accent thick. "But I must! Oh, the horror he must have faced waking up as a newborn in an all new kind of war," I finished blankly, stopping with all the theatrics. I smiled. "Your momma must be very proud of how far you've come, sugar."

There was a long pause, and my heart skipped a beat at the new Jasper looked at me. For a moment, I was sure he was going to kill me. His face was perfectly smooth and clear of all emotion, but his eyes gave him away, so cold and calculating.

I think I shivered.

The others were rigid in their seats, looking as if someone had just told them they knew that they were vampires.

_Oh, wait..._ I thought, laughing.

"Y'all are honestly no fun," I said after a moment or two. "Lookin' as if I just killed your puppies or something! It's just a game. I don't know, maybe the things I said were a little...weird," I allowed, fighting hard to keep a straight face. "But can't you all take a joke?" I asked.

I didn't get an answer.

I nodded and snickered quietly. I didn't need one.

"Honestly, I think y'all are taking my words with a little more salt than y'all really need to," I said, pulling out from under the table and standing when the bell rang. "Haven't any of you ever heard of a little tongue-in-cheek?" I laughed. "It was nice talkin', but if I don't leave now, I'm gonna be late for fourth period."

With that, i turned on my heel and left them sitting, dumbfounded and on edge. They were most likely trying to figure out what they were going to say about the new who knew too much—what they were going to do!

Really, it hadn't been my intention to rile them up that way. Honest. I was going to be respectful toward the creatures that could end my life in matter of seconds. I was just going to introduce myself, tell them who my parents were, and let that be that, but then little pixie-bitch Alice and Rosalie had to go and assert their "dominance," and I just didn't like that very much. Not at all.

I'm glad it went this way, though.

Taunting the Cullen's was just so much fun.


	3. Chapter 3: Are You My Mate?

**Highway to Hell**

A|N: This isn't really important, but I want you all to know this anyway: when Jasper is describing Bella's lips, think Marina Diamandis. Those are Bella's lips, lol. Also, this is probably the longest chapter.

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING DEALING WITH TWILIGHT! I JUST REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LIKE JASPER!**

_Chapter 3: Are you my mate?_

* * *

The rest of the school day seemed to move pretty fast after that, and I was happy because I didn't have any more encounters with the Cullen's. I was especially thankful that I didn't run in to Jasper any more after that, either. I was once again convinced he was going to kill me, new feeding habits be damned.

I was sure he'd do it just because I tried him, posing a _threat_ to him be damned! He'd just want me gone for daring to taunt him that way.

"Hey! What are your plans for the evening?"

I stopped gathering my books for a minute to look up at Angela and shrugged. "Um, I don't know. I think my aunt and uncle are supposed to be having some people over tonight. Why, what's up?" I asked, getting the last of my books.

The second bell of dismissal rang, and it was really official, then: I survived my first day at Forks High.

"A lot of us are going down to La Push for a bonfire," she explained. "It's an every Monday and Friday night thing to do around here."

As she talked, we handed in our class work to our teacher before walking out the back door of the classroom, heading toward the parking lot.

"La Push is...?"

She smiled. "It's a reservation. A Native American reservation, to be exact. There's a beach down there where we do the bonfires at."

"Are you guys planning on swimming?" I asked, frowning. It may have been uncharacteristically dry for a in Forks from what I was told, but it was still pretty cold— definitely too cold be trying to swim. "I think I'll pass on getting a cold, thanks."

Angela laughed. "No! We don't swim. We kind of just...hang out there, party, socialize. Whatever."

"I see," I said, nodding. "I'm afraid I'm still going to have to pass, though. I think I'm supposed to be meeting these friends of my aunt and uncle," I explained. "Rain check?"

"I'll hold you to it!" she said with a laugh before letting me go.

I smiled and headed for my ride. Angela wasn't so bad, I allowed, if she'd just stopped hugging, she'd be great.

I was walking quickly to the motorcyle Peter had let me borrow, wanting to get home so I could tell them _all_ about my day, but I slowed down when the feeling that I was being watched—followed—hit me.

My feeling was proved right when footsteps suddenly sounded behind me.

"You've been very naughty, Isabella."

I stopped walking abruptly, my heart and breathing sped up, and I stared straight ahead, too scared to turn my head, though I knew who it was from the corner of my eye.

"Why?" he asked, cool breath fanning over the side of my face.

I think I managed a shrug.

"I don't like that answer," he growled, suddenly eye-to-eye with me.

My eyes flew open, my heart nearly exploded out of my chest, and I jumped back. I sucked in a breath of surprise, and a scream of sheer terror would have been released with my next breath had I not been grabbed from behind a had a hand placed over my mouth.

"Let me go!" I shrieked, though I'm sure it came out muffled because of the hand, and uselessly fought against the arms that were holding me.

He growled again, and I froze, rightfully terrified. "Are you done fighting me?"

I nodded slowly as a wave of calm enveloped me, and I found myself, against my better judgement, relaxing in to his arms.

"You know who I am?"

I nodded.

"You know _what_ I am?"

I nodded again.

"And yet you foolishly decide to speak to us as if we're your equal," he whispered in my ear, and I shivered. "Why is that?"

When Jasper was sure I was going to cooperate, he uncovered my mouth and let me go, turning me around to face him. There was a smirk on his face, and I scowled. Clearly, he was enjoying being the taunter _very_ much.

"You know who _I_ am," I guessed.

He nodded, and I rolled my eyes. Of course he did. Looking him over, I could tell he was much too relaxed to be seriously worried.

"Peter called you."

Jasper chuckled. "I have to say, you're mighty brave for that little stunt you pulled back there," he said, tilting his head to the left slightly. Assessing me, I guessed. "Mighty brave or really stupid. I'm not sure yet."

"How long have you known?" I asked, looking around in confusion.

If he was here and knew, where were the others? More importantly, when had the parking lot cleared out, and how had no one noticed me almost get murdered?

"Peter called me not too long ago," he answered. "Said he didn't know the specifics of what was happening, but he figured it was time I knew who you were."

I raised a brow, another challenge. Would he be frank with me? "Why?"

"Because I was going to kill you," he said simply.

I didn't take him as the type to lie, anyway.

"I see," was all I said. Thinking it and actually having it confirmed were two very different things. "And the others?"

"Are at home. They left not too long after lunch. Wanted to know _all_ about the new girl who knew too much," he said. "Little Isabella Swan."

"Whitlock," I bit out, taking two steps back when he took one forward. The way he was looking at me had me worried again. "It's really Whitlock."

He chuckled. "Of course."

Another step forward, another step back.

"Isabella Whitlock. It has a nice ring to it, if I do say so myself."

"I'm glad to have the approval of an original Whitlock." The sarcasm was laid on thickly.

Jasper smiled, but it was off. It didn't quite reach his eyes, and it wasn't very nice. "The last one."

"By blood," I said, a warning.

By now, he had me backed up against the only car left in the student parking lot—his. My heart was starting to beat fast again. The way he was looking at me, coupled with his close proximity, made me wary, and I'd hoped that by indirectly bringing up Peter, he'd back off.

He didn't.

Instead, he bent down slightly so we were at eye level with each other and gave me sinister smirk, his eyes darkening with his mood, looking all the part the vampire that he was. "Peter's 'daughter' or not," he whispered icily, "I still want to kill you."

And then he was gone. Him _and_ his car, and I was left to fall roughly on to the ground, trying to even out my breathing and slow down my heart, as I was sure it was beating too fast for it to be considered healthy from the fear I'd just been paralyzed with.

From what I knew of Jasper and his, I was sure all the fear wasn't just mine, and I got the message he was silently sending me loud and clear.

_I win._

_._

_._

_._

When I got home, the Volvo from school was in the driveway—they worked hard when they thought their lives were in danger—and I realized with an irritated sigh that I'd parked right _next_ to one of them and didn't even know it. I was thankful that it was the one parked in my driveway, though.

Still, I parked beside it wondered if keying it up would get me in to trouble or not.

To say I was pissed would probably be the biggest understatement of the century. I was so far beyond pissed that I couldn't adequately explain how pissed I was. Back at school, I'd been playing a dangerous game, I knew that, but I hadn't expected the kind of retaliation that I got. I knew I'd get some, but that..._that_ wasn't fair. I wasn't okay with _that_.

I hadn't felt that helpless and scared in a long time.

If he'd been rougher...

"Don't give what you can't take, hija."

I looked up to find Peter's narrowed eyes staring at me. He was angry.

"Get in the house."

I nodded and got off the bike immediately, putting it on its stand before quickly heading in to the house. I didn't like making Peter angry because I didn't like my dad upset with me, but mostly because he was a scary SOB when he was angry.

"Dad..."

He shut the door behind us and glared. "Don't."

"Can you just let me explain before you start jumping to conclusions?" I begged.

"Explain what?" he demanded. "Explain how you burned off a vampire's hair with your lighter? Explain how you purposely dangled the fact that you knew what they were in their faces? Explain how I had to call my brother and explain to him what was going on so he wouldn't fucking kill you?" he yelled. "Well, you can save yourself the trouble because I know all that already."

The more he yelled, the angrier I could feel myself becoming. I knew that messing with them was wrong, I wasn't stupid, but who the hell was he to get upset with me for defending myself? Certainly not my dad. Not in that moment if he was seriously taking Alice's side.

"Wait a minute. Did you honestly come home to tell on me to daddy?" I snapped, then spotting Alice and Edward by the stairs. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"I don't care what you were acting out of, and that's why I didn't need to hear more! Your life is being threatened by a fucking vampire, you don't engage them by burning of their hair.

Alice shook her head. "I'm not. I don't appreciate being threatened. If it weren't for your dad, I surely would have killed you."

"You're pathetic!" I laughed coldly. "If you had to come to tell daddy, you couldn't handle me on your own even if you really tried."

Alice opened her mouth to say something else, but Peter cut her off with a harsh growl. "Enough! You're talking to me, _not_ her."

"Fine then." I glared at him. "Did she tell you you that her and her sister pushed me up against a wall and threatened me?" I asked. "Did she tell you that I was only acting out of self-defense, or did you just hear 'she burned my hair' and roll with it?"

He didn't say anything.

"Of course you did! Of course! Why _wouldn't_ you just automatically believe your fellow vampire instead of waiting to hear what your daughter had to say? Oh, because that's too much ask, obviously."

"I don't care what she did, and that's why I didn't need to hear the rest! If a vampire attacks you, you don't provoke them by burning of their hair!" he hissed. "In that moment, you should have immediately told her who I was and then kindly asked her to back off, and I or your mother would have handled it when you got home and told us."

I couldn't believe he was really saying this. I couldn't believe he was honestly, in a way, taking her side, just completely disregarding what she'd did to _me_.

"Sure does say a lot about your parenting skills if I'm still unable to protect myself in some way against your kind, doesn't it, Peter?" I questioned.

"Cierra la boca y sube las escaleras!" he growled, always reverting to Spanish when he was pissed.

From what I knew, Spanish was a language used a lot during his time in the vampire southern wars. He had to learn it if he wanted to understand Maria's, the bitch most responsible for Charlotte and Peter's newborn days, commands when she was angry. I guessed he'd retained some of her qualities during his time there.

"Fine, but I'm not going because you told me to. I'm going because I honestly can't look at your face right now without feeling like I'm going to be sick," I said calmly. "You really can't tell me what to do because you're _not_ my dad."

His breath hitched, and he looked surprised by what I said. "Ahora!" he yelled.

"Fine," I repeated before turning on my heel and heading up to my room as quickly as I could, glaring at Alice as I passed.

She smirked. "Serves you right."

I didn't say anything in response. Instead, I walked calmly up the stairs and to my room. After locking myself in, though I knew that would do nothing if they really wanted to come in, I fell on to my bed with a sigh and before I had time to catch myself, I started crying.

I was crying. That surprised me quite a bit because I hadn't done it in so long, but...it felt good. It felt really good. I knew I hurt Peter by what I'd said in my moment of anger, but he hurt me more by disregarding me completely and taking sides with Alice.

I don't know. Maybe it was immature of me to think he was "taking sides," but that was how it felt.

.

.

.

**Jasper's POV**

"It could be fun! We haven't been on a date in _so_ long, you know?" Alice said, grinning at me as she danced around our room, trying on multiple outfits.

Since the night before, she'd been trying to get me to _not_ go school, which didn't make sense to me. After all the begging she had to do to get me to start going in the first place, I would think she would be doing all she could to keep me _in_.

"Right. Sounds like it'd be so much fun," I muttered sarcastically. "But I can't skip school, Alice. I have to get my education, after all."

Alice scowled. "You already know everything they know and then some. Missing one day of school isn't going to kill you or effect your growth in education, Jasper. Since when do you care about school this much, anyway?"

"I don't." I shrugged. "I just feel like today I should go."

"I feel you shouldn't."

"Why?" I challenged.

I sat on the edge of our bed and watched her, really interested in hearing this answer. It was the one I'd been wanting for a while now. My brother and I, Peter, had been talking a lot more lately than we usually did. He and his mate, Charlotte, were moving over on this side of town, and I wanted to make sure everything went smoothly for them.

See, I was _over the moon_ with the fact that Peter and Charlotte were coming to town. As much as I liked the Cullen's, they weren't really my family, weren't actually _my_ coven. They were Alice's. I'd only tagged along because at the time I'd wanted to be with her. Peter and Charlotte were my family, had been for a long time now, so of course I was excited to hear they were moving down here with me. It'd make life so much better for me and them, too, I liked to think.

Alice, on the other hand, wasn't so happy. She'd been against their moving here from the minute she had the vision that they'd be here and tried to do everything in her power to keep that from happening, went so far as to even try and forbid me from seeing them. I knew her and Charlotte absolutely hated each other, and her and Peter could only take so much of the other before they had to go their separate ways, but trying to keep them away from me was something new. Her behavior only got weirder as their moving date got closer.

I had a feeling that for whatever reason why she was so determined to keep me from going to school today indirectly involved them.

Alice huffed. "Why does the 'why' matter so much? Just know I have a bad feeling about this. Don't you trust me?"

"About as far as a human could throw you," I answered. No, Alice had lost my trust a long time ago. "You know that. Now, if we're done thinking I'm stupid, let's get straight to the point. What did you see?"

"What?" she asked, genuinely surprised that I'd figure that out.

_Fool,_ I thought. _She actually took me as a fool._

"I'm not stupid, Alice. I never have been. If you think you'd been hiding everything well, you've been thinking wrong for a long time, sweetheart," I told her. "On _all_ counts." Her eyes widened at my implication. "Empath or not, there isn't much you can hide, Ali. Remember that."

With that, I grabbed my book bag and left her to her own devices, heading downstairs where the others were.

"Everything okay?" Rose asked, forever concerned about me.

I smiled. The Cullen's weren't my family, but I never said anything about the Hale.

"Yeah, everything's good," I assured her, nodding. "You know how she gets when Peter and Char come around."

Rosalie went to open her mouth to say something, but before she could, Edward interrupted with, "Speaking of Peter and Charlotte. I still don't think it's a good idea to have _two_ human drinkers moving here. The wolves are going to think we've broken the treaty or something."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry, Eddie. If a war breaks out, we're handle it."

Edward Cullen was going to die one day, and it was going to be by my hands. I was sure of it.

The second Alice and I showed up here, I knew he was trouble. He had nothing on the trouble I was, but he was trouble. We had problems from the get go. He'd, on multiple occasions, tried to convince everyone else that I was bad news and to leave me on my own. I, in turn, instilled the fear of God in to him whenever I felt like it, both with my gift and without.

Since the day Peter came back to get me from the wars, I hadn't been very violent. I hadn't been very disagreeable, either. For a while, I was just...there, and after that, I just didn't care about anything or anyone. I was a free man and that was all that mattered. I never felt the need to be on the defensive until I met Edward. Something about him immediately rubbed me the wrong way.

After finding out about his "rebellious" years, I knew I was right.

Edward Cullen wasn't a man to be trusted.

For the most part, I'd gotten over it. If he tried anything, I could protect myself, so I left him alone. Mostly because he was a waste of time to think about, but also out of respect for Carlisle and Esme. I liked them, and they didn't like that their two "sons" were fighting, so I completely let it go.

Everything had been okay between us for the most part until Peter and Charlotte announced they were moving down here with us. He, like Alice, didn't like them. Alice was jealous, knowing how much more they meant to me than anyone else. Edward just felt he was better than them because he drank from animals, and I didn't like that. If he said one more thing about them that I didn't like, I would kill him.

"You wouldn't. Esme and Carlisle wouldn't let you," he said, knowing my thoughts.

I didn't understand him. For someone who claimed to not like their gift because it was a complete invasion of privacy, he sure did like to use it.

"They could try to stop me," I replied, raising an eyebrow. "Keyword: try. It would do no good."

He went to say something in reply to that, but Carlisle and Esme came in the room then.

_Cat got your tongue?_

He growled, giving me his most threatening look possible, and I chuckled.

_Scary._

"Enough," Carlisle snapped, silencing him. "Peter and Charlotte won't be feeding in town or anywhere near here, right?"

I nodded in confirmation.

"Therefore, the treaty will not be breached. I don't want to hear anything else on this subject, then," he said, giving a pointed stare.

I hadn't been the only one fed up with Edward and Alice wasn't the only one acting funny. Carlisle's patience was running thing, which was unusual for him, and with Edward no less—his golden boy. I didn't know what he did, but Edward's "first companion" privileges were wearing out.

_Guess your bullshit's starting to stink._

Edward growled again. Just to taunt him further, I smirked. He was, stupid on his part, going to lunge at me until Carlisle growled at him.

"I said enough, damnit!" he yelled, all patience gone. "Jasper, leave him alone. Edward, move on. I have to get to work, the rest of you need to get to school."

He kissed a surprised-looking Esme on the forehead before walking out, lightly slamming the door behind him.

"Whoa," Emmett said after Carlisle was gone for the hospital, chuckling. "What crawled up his ass?"

Esme frowned. "Language," she scolded him. "And nothing. He's just been stressed. Work's been trying lately," she explained.

We all nodded in understanding, and then let the subject alone.

"Well, we better be leaving," Rosalie said, standing up from the couch.

"Yeah," we muttered in agreement.

After we all had our things gathered, we piled in to the cars. I hopped in Rosalie's BMW with her and Emmett, while Alice and Edward rode in his Volvo.

_._

_._

_._

I hadn't been lying to Alice when I told her that I felt like I _had_ to come to school. I did. The feeling only intensified when Rose pulled in to the student lot, parking in our normal spot.

The feeling...it was a strong sense of longing. Like, I didn't want to be at school because I already knew everything that was being thought, but I _needed_ to be. I _had_ to be. It was like a missing puzzle piece was finally going to be put into its place.

"You sure you're okay?" Rosalie asked.

I nodded and stood up as I best I could in the back of her car before jumping out and standing next to her. "I'm fine. Just feeling a little off today, is all."

"Does it have anything to do with _that_?"

I followed to where she was pointing and saw Edward driving in to the lot slowly, him and Alice leaned in to each other pretty close. She whispered something in his ear, and he laughed, returning the gesture with a whisper of his own.

"No," I said. It really didn't. "Not even a little bit."

The only thing that bothered me was the fact that they thought they were being secretive in their affair. It was _laughable_ how obvious they were being.

"Why the hell not?" Emmett questioned, coming to stand by us. "It should."

I shrugged. "I don't see why it should. Alice is only doing it out of spite. Very jealous, that girl."

I didn't know what shocked them more: the fact that I was so calm about the fact that my wife was cheating on me, or that I just admitted to doing it first.

"You guys didn't honestly think I was just knowingly letting her cheat on me, did you?" I asked, so surprised by this that I had to laugh. "No. I strayed first, I'll admit it. She's only doing it because she can't accept the fact that our 'marriage' isn't working out."

I used the term "marriage" very loosely. Had the license been real and _not_ forged by some sleazy lawyer, maybe I would have taken it seriously. Had Alice been my mate, we wouldn't be in the mess to begin with.

"Dude..." He didn't continue, obviously rendered speechless for a moment by my admission.

Rosalie shook her head. "Kind of foul..."

I shrugged. It was, but I didn't feel bad about it. Alice and I were never going to work out. It took me a while to realize that, and even longer to accept it, but I did.

"What are we talking about over here?" Alice asked, her and Edward finally having made their way over to us.

"If we wanted you to know, we would have spoke louder," Rosalie answered, rolling her eyes. "Right?"

Alice was taken aback by Rose's abruptness, but she shook it off. "I guess so?"

Rosalie said nothing more on the subject. Instead, she went inside, and we followed suit. We'd only _just_ walked in when my phone buzzed, alerting me to a new text.

**Change of plans. Instead of coming to you all, y'all are coming to us. We're meeting at my house, you have the address. Use it. – Peter **

**Whatever. We'll be there. ****– Jasper**

******Don't do anything you'll regret. ****– Peter**

Before I could ask him what the hell he was talking about, I was assaulted with a scent so strong that it almost sent me falling to my knees.

It smelled wonderful. Probably the sweetest scent, the sweetest _blood_, I'd ever come across in my life, but that wasn't _even_ what made me want to fall to my knees. It was the fact that it stirred up that sense of longing in me again that I'd been feeling earlier. Longing and possessive...like it belonged to me.

_Like it was **made** for me,_ I thought.

"Wait a minute," I said.

They all stopped and turned to stare at me, each of them curious as to what was wrong with me.

"No. We should just keep going," Alice said, grabbing on to my arm with both her hands and tugging on it. "Sticking around isn't a good idea."

Now I was _sure_ she'd had a vision, and I hissed, "What did you see?"

"I didn't see anything!" Alice argued.

That was true, but she was still hiding something from me.

"Straighten up. We've got company," Rosalie said before I could question her further.

I removed my arm from Alice's hands and turned to see who are "company" was.

They didn't disappoint.

She was gorgeous. _God_, was she gorgeous. She had these cute, pouty lips that made me want to kiss them repeatedly and made her look as if she were smirking, an adorable button nose, and these big, beautiful chocolate-brown eyes that reminded me of Bambi. That was just her _face_. As if she wasn't already perfect enough, her hair was long and thick, shiny, and, for lack of a better word, it looked _silky_. I just wanted to spend hours running my hands through it. To top it all off, she had an amazing body, too. I thought she was the perfect hourglass figure—tiny waist with slightly bigger hips.

The longer I looked at her, the more she consumed my thoughts. I didn't even know her name, but I already wanted to make her mine. I needed to make her mine. I both wanted and needed to protect her, to care for her, to hold and caress her—God, I needed to love her and have her love me in return.

And it didn't matter _how_ she loved me. I just wanted her to love me.

"Oh, no."

Alice's whispered cry brought my out of my haze, and I realized a few things: Alice had her hand on my chest, an extreme amount of jealousy and protectiveness pouring from her, the way Edward was staring at the girl before he realized I'd caught him, and the girl's stance in front of me, hands clasped behind her back and looking me dead in the eye, obviously meaning to be respectful.

There was a sense of nervous dread coming from her, but she was also feeling very thankful and slightly amused.

"Excuse me," she said. "I'm trying to go in there."

Her voice sounded like music to my ears.

_Get a grip,_ I thought.

I was at war with myself. Part of me wanted to be all about her, even though I had no idea who she was, while the other part of me wanted to run and run like hell. Devoting my life to yet another woman was _not_ about happen.

"_What_ are you staring at?" came Alice's snarl.

I had to bite down roughly on my tongue to keep from snarling back at her.

The girl snorted. "Calm it down, Alice. I'm not going to try and steal your beau."

Before either of us had time to fully process what she'd just said, she walked in to the office, which we happened to be standing in front of.

"I don't like her," Rosalie said when the door closed behind her. "I don't like her at all. I've never even _seen_ her before!"

Emmett nodded. "I feel weird about her, guys. I mean, she's a new student and knows Alice's name already. Plus, the way she acted around Jasper..."

"How did she act around me?" I asked, growing defensive. "I didn't do anything."

Emmett frowned, confused by defensiveness. "Chill. I just meant with the whole hands behind the back thing. If you ask me, it looked as if she were scared of you."

"Smart girl," Edward chimed in.

Emmett ignored him and continued, "Like she knows who you are. _That_ coupled with the fact that she already knew Alice's name has me on edge. I don't like it, either."

"Basically, we're getting the feeling that she knows something," Rosalie finally said. "Edward?"

"I don't know anything," he said.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "What do you mean you _don't_ know anything? You pride yourself on knowing _everything_."

"Just what I said." Edward rolled his eyes in return. "I couldn't read her mind."

"I can't see anything with her, either," Alice informed us before we could say anything to what Edward had just told us.

My eyes narrowed at her. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not!" she hissed. "I wouldn't lie about something like that. I don't _like_ being blind, Jasper."

My hands closed in to tight fists, and I tilted my head from side to side a few times to crack it—my way to make myself calm down. Alice's secretive bullshit was starting to piss me off.

"Start talking now, or I swear to God..." I stopped talking and let the threat hang there.

Alice sighed in irritation and rolled her eyes. "I can't see her clearly, but I knew she was coming."

"Who'd she come here with?" asked a curious Edward.

Alice shrugged and, never taking her eyes off me, answered, "I don't know. Like I said, I can't see her clearly. I just knew that she would be here today." The look on her face said it all. She fucking knew just _who_ that girl was.

"So, you were just going to.."

Instead of finishing what I was going to say, I walked away.

I was _pissed_. Whether I wanted my mate or not, Alice knowingly keeping me away from her, which I then knew her intention to be that morning, was not okay. If she thought I was going to let that slide, she was once again thinking wrong.

"FUCK!" I yelled as I walked down the hall to my first class, punching the nearest locker next to, in turn scaring a few of the kids that were still lingering around despite the first bell having run already.

.

.

.

Thanks to all the teenagers that had nothing better to do at school other than to gossip about other people, I knew the name of my mate within the first two hours of classes: Isabella Swan, though she preferred to be called Bella.

Not only did I know her name, but I also knew that she was from Texas, had been living with her aunt and uncle for a while now since the death of her parents, she was seventeen and a junior.

"You know, for someone who just found his mate, you don't look too happy."

I turned my head slightly so Emmett could see me roll my eyes and said, "Alice."

"Who else?" he replied, chuckling lowly.

"I'm not," I told him. "As if I needed to be tied down to _another_ woman again."

He snorted. "Would you prefer it had been a dude?"

Had we not been in a class full of people, I would have had his head on a silver platter. "Fuck you."

"I'm sorry, bro, but I don't swing that way." He laughed loudly then.

Mrs. Reed stopped in the middle of her retelling of _The Great Gatsby_. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Cullen. Is there a joke you would like to tell the class?"

"Um..." Emmett cleared his throat, caught off guard as none of us had ever been called out before in class. "No?"

Mrs. Reed nodded. "I didn't think so. Please refrain from interrupting my class for the _remainder_ of class unless you'd like to be explaining your joke to me in detention today."

"Yes, ma'am," he muttered, successfully reprimanded.

I chuckled, and he didn't say anything for the rest of class.

By the time lunch came around, I managed to get Emmett off my case about Bella. Alice, who wasn't all too thrilled with what happened this morning, seemed to have kept her mouth shut and her mind off to the other two, which I was thankful for. I wasn't going to tell anyone else about it until I came to terms with it.

"I still don't see the point in coming here," Rosalie said as we made our way to our table, once again under the watchful eyes of the towns people's children. "It doesn't make us blend in anymore than _not_ coming here wouldn't."

She had a point.

As we walked past the table Bella was at, I glanced at her, and then looked away quickly before she could catch me looking at her. It was ridiculous how out of sorts this girl was making me feel.

"I don't like her," Alice commented casually.

Emmett and I said nothing to this. We knew why.

"What's so bad about her?" Edward asked.

Alice scowled. "What isn't?"

"She knows too much," Rosalie said suddenly, grabbing hold of part of Alice's hair that was singed badly. "She did this. She knows what we are."

I asked, "How did she get close enough to do that?"

"We..."

Alice interrupted Rosalie with, "That doesn't matter. What does matter is that she knows what we are, and I personally don't like that. Something has to be done."

Rose nodded in agreement.

"We're not even sure what all she knows!" Emmett argued. After finding out she was my mate, he seemed to be on a different page than the one he'd been on this morning. "She could just be messing with us. We need to at least talk to her first before we make plans to do something with her."

"How did she get close enough to do that, Alice?" I asked again, leaning forward. "When did you even have time to talk to her to come to the conclusion that she knows to much?"

Edward rolled his eyes, feeling impatient. "Why does it matter? If she knows too much, she knows too much."

"But how do we _know_ she does?" Emmett stressed.

Obviously, I wasn't going to get the answered to my question any time soon.

I'd just wait until we were alone. She'd have no choice, then.

Alice glared at him. "She mentioned our 'secret' a couple of times, Emmett. What _other_ secret do we have?"

"The Cullen's."

We all looked up at us being mentioned.

"Are you going to, I don't know, go over there or something?" a girl I'd seen here and there asked Bella.

Bella replied, "Should I?"

The other girl shrugged. "Personally, I wouldn't, but we're nothing alike."

"Obviously," Bella muttered with a hint of annoyance, and she shrugged. "I guess so. I've kind of had it with people staring and gossiping all day. I'm going to nip this shit in the bud, starting with them."

Apparently, between our short time of discussing her, we'd been staring at her _too_ hard, and she didn't like that.

Bella stood up, then, and began to make her way over her, a small, knowing smirk on her face.

Any argument Emmett had of her _not_ actually knowing much was no longer believable. She knew more than she should, that much was clear.

After pulling up a chair at our table, much too comfortable around us than I liked, she smiled and introduced herself. "Hey," she started. "I'm Isabella Swan, new girl. Though, I have a feeling you all already knew that."

"Do you know why you're here?" Edward asked, and I rolled my eyes.

That was stupid.

"To get an education," she answered with the utmost seriousness, leaving the "duh" hanging in the air. "Why else would I be here? Surely not to cause trouble if _that's_ what you're thinking." She smirked.

Right then, I was decided. I didn't like her. She was playing games, and I didn't like that.

"What secret do you know?" I asked, irritated and wanting to get straight to the point already so we could move on to something new.

Her wide-eyes snapped over to me, and I could feel the genuine fear rolling off her as I watched her, waiting for an answer. However, just as quickly as she became scared, she was perfectly fine, smirking again like all the world was hers.

* * *

What happened after that left us all dumbstruck. We'd only been assuming this girl knew what were, which was vampires, but she sat there and proved us wrong. One by one, she spoke of our pasts like it was no big deal all in the name of her "game." And then, like she _hadn't_ just done that, told us to calm down because it was all a fucking "game" and then walked away.

"What do we do?" Emmett asked no one in particular, though he was looking at me.

They were _all_ looking at me.

"Y'all are going home," I answered, leaving no room for arguing. "To find out what you can about her. See where she's been, with who and why." We had all the materials back at the house needed to do this kind of research. "I'm staying here. When school let's out, I'll deal with Bella." We had all the materials back at the house needed to do this kind of research.

I knew the minute Alice saw my decision because her emotions went from angry and jealous and shocked to pure glee. She was absolutely ecstatic.

"What are you going to do?" all of them but Alice asked, Emmett more worried by my answer than the other's.

"I'm going to kill her."

.

.

.

School dragged on from there. All I wanted to do was get to her, kill her and be done. To me, it didn't matter that she was my mate or that she knew we were vampires. All that mattered was that she played me. Toyed with me, rather. If there was anything I truly hated in this world, it was being toyed with.

It especially irked me that the person that did was a fucking human. A little girl!

The dismissal bell rang, and I jumped up quickly, grabbing my things and heading outside to the parking lot. When I got there, I leaned against the school building and waited for her to come out. As I waited, my phone rang, and I picked it up immediately, already knowing who it was.

"Don't do anything I'll regret?" I said by way of greeting. "Did you know I was going to kill a girl today, or...?

He sighed. "No. I knew _something_ was going to happen, though, which was why I warned you. Had I known she was going to do _that_, I would have just told you all like I started to and all this could have been avoided."

"Is she why you're here?" I asked. He didn't respond. "Peter."

"She's why I haven't been here," he answered after a while. "Why I haven't been anywhere around you or your family for the past..decade?"

My eyes widened slightly at this. "What are you saying?"

"That I know her," he said, and I knew by the exasperated tone in his voice that he was rolling his eyes.

"You say that like I was supposed to know that," I snapped, irritated and rolling my eyes in return. "Why do you know her?"

He explained, "Long story short, she's my daughter."

"Your daughter?"

"My daughter," he confirmed.

I would have asked how that came to be, but I wasn't really in the mood to hear the "long story" he mentioned. I sighed, and he chuckled.

"Sorry for taking away your fun," he said, still laughing. "You weren't going to kill her anyway."

"Kill who?" I heard Char ask in the background.

Though she couldn't see me, I shook my head. "Nobody."

Peter laughed at me, but I didn't much care. No one wanted to be the reason for Charlotte's wrath, which was exactly why he didn't say anything, either. If she found out he knew something was going to happen with Bella, I probably wouldn't have a brother anymore.

"Right," she said, completely disbelieving. "Whatever."

Peter went on to say something, but I tuned him out because in that moment, out came Isabella.

"I have to go."

Peter growled quietly, "Jasper..."

"Don't worry." I smirked. "She'll come home in one piece. Maybe."

With that, I hung up on him. I watched for a few minutes as she talked to the same girl at lunch for a while before finally making my way over to her.

.

.

.

"Peter's daughter or not," I whispered. "I still want to kill you."

That wasn't true. I didn't want to kill her anymore. I wasn't sure I ever really did.

One thing I was sure of, though, was that I liked her. I liked her a lot, and I wanted to see where we could go.

But first I had to toy with her the way she did with me. I couldn't help it. There was something satisfying about getting even. And, God, did I get even.

She'd been terrified, probably from thinking I wouldn't go after her. Silly girl. For the most part, the fear was all her. I only pushed it on her slightly. What was really scaring her was that I wasn't pretending to be anything other than a vampire anymore. I thought she handled herself pretty well.

I took a second to look her over, pressed tightly against my car the way she was. Her back was arched slightly, her breathing was heavy, and for a moment all I could focus on was her chest, her breasts close to my face since I'd bent down to look her in the eye. Even covered completely by her shirt, I was still enthralled by them.

_No. Definitely don't want to kill her._

I spared another glance at her face before leaving, feeling I'd spent enough time messing around with her.

* * *

"Where's Alice?" was the first thing I said when I got home, seeing everyone there but her. "And Edward?"

If they were off fooling around with the possibility of us being exposed soon hanging over our heads, I'd tear them both to pieces without hesitation. If we were really in trouble, they'd be putting us all at risk.

Rosalie looked up from the laptop she was on and rolled her eyes. "She went to go pay Peter and Charlotte a visit."

I nodded slowly. I didn't know what game Alice was playing, but she needed to call it quits before I lost all my patience for her.

"You didn't really...hurt that poor girl, did you, Jasper?" Esme asked, looking all the part of a concerned mother. "I know what she knows isn't good, but surely there had to have been a better solution, right?"

I nodded. "No need to get worked up, Esme," I told her, feeling the emotional turmoil the thought caused. She was the most gentle, caring creatures I knew, so of course the thought of taking someone's life, even if it was to save her own, displeased her. "I didn't kill her."

Esme, though utterly thankful to hear this, was completely shocked, as were the others.

"What do you mean you didn't kill her?" Rosalie asked, bewildered. "This girl is putting our lives at risk just by breathing. How could be so careless as to..."

Emmett covered her mouth with his hand to silence her, and she growled, though she didn't bother to remove his hand. He looked more serious than I had ever seen him. "Think about it, Rose."

"I've come to the same conclusion."

I turned around to look at Carlisle, watching as he rushed over to Esme, seeing her still distressed. I didn't kill Bella, but for all she knew, we were still in trouble.

"If you really think about it, it's quite obvious," he continued, nodding at Emmett.

So far, we all seemed to be on the same page.

"What's quite obvious?" Esme asked.

Rosalie nodded and removed Emmett's hand from her mouth. "Yes, please let us in on what's been figured out and stop being so cryptic."

"She's with Peter and Charlotte," I informed them. "Bella Swan is really Bella Whitlock. She's their 'daughter.'"

Emmett cleared his throat. "I think, since we're already on the subject of her, you should tell them the rest."

"She's also my mate," I said, scowling at Emmett.

I hadn't been planning on telling them yet. I didn't want to go around telling the world the news yet; I wasn't yet ready to share, either.

The three of them sat stunned at the news. That shocked them more than anything they'd been told so far.

"Mated...to a human?" Esme said, eyes wide. "I didn't think that was possible."

Carlisle frowned and shrugged softly. "I don't see why not. If you could only mate with a fellow vampire, I would think that would defeat the purpose of a mate. We just assume our mates will already be vampires."

"Charlotte was human when Peter changed her," I pointed out.

"How do you feel about this?" Carlisle asked. "Surely it's a...big change for you."

I snorted. _Understatement._ "I'm not sure yet."

From there, they talked about how we should have realized right off the back that this new girl, who knew so much about us, had something to do with Peter and Charlotte's moving here. It was just too much of a coincidence. The next topic was mating: vampires and humans. I participated every now and then, but my focus was mostly on Rosalie.

Throughout everything, she'd been quiet. I wouldn't say she was scared, per se, but nervous. Nervous and regretful, and I knew it all had to deal with Alice again.

Everything had to do with her lately, it seemed.

"Why'd she pull a lighter out on Alice, Rosalie?" I asked, cutting off the conversation going on between the other three.

Rosalie's body was stiff as she replied, "Self defense."

"What's going on?" Carlisle asked, confused.

We ignored him. "Why would she need to defend herself?" I asked.

"Because we may have gotten a little rough with her..."

Granted, I'd been planning on killing her. I was just going to kill her and walk away like it—she—meant nothing to me, but to hear Rosalie admit that she and Alice took it upon themselves to get "a little rough" with my mate pissed me off.

If _I_ wouldn't even put hands on her, why would they get to?

"Jasper, you have to see it from our angle!" Rosalie exclaimed, alarmed by the growl I'd sent her way. "We thought we were just protecting our family! Had we known she was your mate, we wouldn't have done what we did. Had we known she was Peter's, we wouldn't have have done it."

"Rough how?"

"Alice pushed her against the wall a little too hard, but..."

I didn't let her finish. That did it for me.

Alice. Alice. Alice.

She just loved pissing me off.

"Where are you going?" Esme and Carlisle asked at once, extremely worried.

I snapped, "To take care of something."

.

.

.

I couldn't deny that she was smart. Extremely infuriating and asking—begging—for death, but she was smart.

By time I got to Peter's house, Alice was already gone. Since she rode over with Edward, I wouldn't be able to follow her since they left in his car, and I knew she wouldn't be going home yet. I'm sure, with her visions, she knew what I'd do if I found her right then.

No. She _wasn't_ smart; she was _lucky_.

Instead of coming face-to-face with Alice like I'd hoped when I got to the house, I came face-to-face with Peter, which was just as nice, I supposed.

"Jasper."

I nodded in kind. "Peter."

Our greeting was chill, but the grins on our faces gave way to what we wouldn't willingly share.

Peter and I...we were excited. We were fucking thrilled to be seeing each other again.

"Can you two stop being so manly for more than two seconds and just hug already?" came Charlotte's voice, poking her head around Peter to grin at me, and I, of course, grinned back. I'd missed her, too.

Peter and I allowed one hug, which lasted lasted longer than either of us thought it would, before we pulled away. I pulled Char in for a hug, too, before finally being invited in.

"Before we do any kind of catching up, I need to see Bella," I said.

Charlotte snickered. "Excited to finally have found the one?" she asked.

I made a face, and she laughed. "You knew this whole time, too?"

"Of course. Peter knows better than to keep something like this from me." She laughed again, but it stopped abruptly as she seemed to have thought of something, her mood quickly souring. "No."

This surprised me. "No?"

"Did I stutter?" she asked coldly. "No, I didn't. I said 'no,' and you heard me perfectly well. You don't get to see her until you take care of that wife of yours. Jasper, I swear to God, if she puts her hands on Bella one more time..."

I glared. "I'm going to take care of Alice, but you're going to try and keep me away from my mate over something she did?

"I'm not going to try," she hissed. "I'm going to do. Until you've divorced her, have successfully gotten it in her head that you are no longer hers and are completely sure that this is what you want, you're going to have to stay away from Bella. She's dealt with enough. She doesn't need you fucking with her head, too."

"What do you mean if I'm 'sure this is what I want?'"

"You've never wanted a mate, and I don't have any reason to believe that's changed," the over-protective mother said, calmly walking away as if she _hadn't_ just forbade me from seeing her daughter.

Peter looked concerned, too, and I sighed and rolled my eyes.

So much for a happy reunion.

And they wondered why I didn't want a mate. Once you got one, it became all about them.

I kind of enjoyed being all about me.

"Come on. Let's go take a walk," Peter said. "We've got some things to talk about."


	4. Chapter 4:Heart-To-Heart

_Highway to Hell_

A|N: The reviews have been amazing.

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own ANYTHING Twilight related. I just think I deserve some fun time with Jasper!**

_Chapter 4: heart-to-heart_

* * *

I almost refused to go with him. I didn't want to spend half of our long overdue reunion talking about my being mated to his "daughter," but I realized I had to. His jaw was locked tightly, his lips set in a hard line, and his eyes were slightly narrowed. This was important to him. I hadn't see him this way in a _long_ time, so I _couldn't_ refuse.

So, I nodded my agreement, and we walked out the house, quickly breaking off into a run once we were outside, getting out of hearing range of Charlotte.

We stopped in the middle of a clearing. Peter's back was turned to me for a few minutes, his emotions all over the place.

"We love her," he said after a while, turning around to face me. "We love her so much. She's not our biological daughter, but that doesn't matter. She's ours, and we're hers. That's just how it works now."

I nodded. "I can see."

"We knew about this, but it's still hard. It's not easy..."

I had to cut him off. "How long have you two known about this? I know I said I never wanted to find my mate, but to keep her away from me..."

"Not that long, I assure you, but even if we _had_ known, we probably _still_ wouldn't have told you," Peter said, cutting me off. I growled, not liking this admission, but he simply rolled his eyes and continued. "Like I was saying, it's not easy watching your kid grow up. It especially won't be easy watching her fall in love and having her leave us. _Especially_ when it's _you _of all people."

I glared. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

I was offended and becoming defensive. True, I was conflicted on this whole situation, wasn't yet sure if this was what I wanted, but to have both Charlotte and Peter in longer words say I'm not good enough for Bella pissed me off. If I wasn't good enough for _my_ mate, we wouldn't _be_ fucking mate, right? I was pretty sure that was how it worked.

"You're my brother, and I love you, but you're a dick. And a manwhore. And you just don't generally give a shit about anyone else but yourself. Are Char and I supposed to be happy that our daughter is mated to you? Um, _no_. Not at all, but we're dealing with it."

I rolled my eyes, then. "Basically, you're saying that I'm not good enough for Bella?"

"Basically, I'm saying you need to get your shit together before you even look her way," he responded with the utmost seriousness. "Because so help me, God, if you hurt Isabella in anyway, I won't hesitate in ending you."

And I believed him. He couldn't do it, of course, but he would try, and I would take it because I would no doubt deserve it. It still didn't take away the sting of the threat, though. I mean, I knew she was their daughter and all, but how long had we known each other, been brothers, and he was just going to throw it away for that girl?

_This is bullshit, _I thought. _Complete and utter bullshit. It's literally becoming all about her. Fucking mates, I swear..._

As I continued to curse ever finding my mate in my head, silence settled between Peter and me. It lasted for over ten minutes, neither one of us wanting to give in to the other. When I realized Peter wasn't going to break it, I sighed and rolled my eyes once more. Here we were, two seasoned war veterans, petulantly giving each other the silence treatment like a couple of teenage girls.

"Look, Pete, the last thing I want to do is hurt Bella, all right?" I finally said. "And you're right. I'm a bad choice, I get that, and I'll work on that, I guess. I just...fuck, I don't know. I need time, I guess. Every goddamn minute something is fucking shifting, and I don't like it. Am I supposed to be okay with this shit or something?"

His lips twitched. "Generally, yes."

"Well, I'm not."

Another twitch and a short chuckle. "Clearly."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? Seeing me all out of fucking whack," I snapped, though not actually bothered by it. Had I been in his place, I would've found it comical, too.

Peter nodded. "I am actually." He finally allowed the smile that had been threatening to break out over his face. "On a serious note again: contrary to what you seem to believe, I think you're good enough. I think you'll be just what she needs, really. Char does, too. We're just parents now, J. Some things have changed."

"Clearly," I repeated his sentiment from earlier.

Peter laughed. "Like I said, just get your shit together and there won't be any problems. Bella's been through a lot already, Jasper. I don't want or need her thinking her mate is another person she _can't_ trust."

"I won't hurt her."

His smile was kind. "You will, and she you. All's fair in love and war, you know."

"That the excuse you're going to use when you try to kick my ass?" I asked him, not even bothering to question the rest of what he said. I didn't feel like dealing with his cryptic shit right then.

"Yep," he said, grinning.

I nodded and then laughed. "I'll hold you to that, I guess."

Silence fell over us again, but this time it wasn't a petty silence. I was only going over the day's events, wondering what the future held for me when it came to Bella, and I figured Peter was doing the same.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time, Jasper. The day some sorry bastard fell in love with _my_ daughter of all women," Peter told me after a while, staring off into the distance, still deep in thought as he talked to me it seemed. "And I honestly think there is no better man for her, despite the things you've done. Now, I'm preparing for another day. I don't know what's going to happen on that day, but I need to know you'll be standing by her side when it comes. I need to know that you'll be ready."

"I don't know..." I trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

He shook his head. "That's not good enough." He looked at me, his eyes pleading with me to understand. "Promise me you will be."

"I promise," I replied against my better judgement.

He nodded, and that was the end of our little heart-to-heart. The rest of the time was spent fucking around, reminiscing, and catching up.


	5. Chapter 5: What Doesn't Kill You

_**Highway to Hell**_

A|N: This chapters picks up where Bella's point of view stopped in Chapter 3.

_Chapter 5: What doesn't kill us makes us bitter_

* * *

After a few hours of just laying around, I wasn't pissed anymore. I was mostly just...upset. I didn't know what hurt me more, though; Peter getting upset with me or Charlotte's reaction—or lack thereof, really. She literally said _nothing_ while her mate chewed my ass out.

"Bella, can I come in?" came Charlotte's voice from outside my door along with her gentle knock.

I huffed. "Seeing as how you're a vampire, I guess you can do whatever you want, can't you?"

"I guess you're right about that," she answered, suddenly close to my ear. I jumped up in surprise, nearly falling off the bed in my haste to move away, and she smiled. "I was sure you'd have seen that one coming."

"I probably should have," I replied with a nod, getting comfortable once again on my bed. "Is there something you want or...?"

She sighed. "Bella, I know you're angry..."

"On the contrary, I am perfectly fine. No anger or bitterness here," was my snarky response.

Charlotte shook her head. "Come on, Bella, don't be this way. Please. You know how Peter is..."

"I'm not even upset about that anymore!" I found myself yelling. "I am _so_ over Peter right now, Mom. What I am _not_ over, however, is you and your defense of me."

"What are you talking about?" Char asked, obviously confused.

I shook my head. She didn't even _see_ what had me upset. Just thirteen years ago, she was willing to fight her mate to save me, to keep me, to make me her _daughter_, but today, she just stood there while Peter yelled at me without allowing me to give a complete explanation.

"I'm talking about the way you let Peter completely...completely belittle me! In front of that bitch of woman!" I snapped.

Charlotte sighed again. "First, watch your language. You know how much I hate you to use it. Second, Peter wasn't belittling you, Bella, and you know that. He just..."

"_This_ is unbelievable. You're _still_ not sticking up for me!" I cried, hysterical laughter bubbling out of me.

Was I being overdramatic and unfair? Probably. Did I care? Not at all. Not in that moment, at least. I might later, but right then I was upset—getting pissed all over again.

"She shoved me against a _wall_, for Heaven sakes. _Hard_. I have the bruises to prove it. Would you like to see them?" I asked, my sarcasm thick.

"Yes," Charlotte said, her eyes clouding over.

At the same time, Peter barged into the room, declaring loudly, "Yes!"

I frowned. Apparently, my sarcasm fell on deaf ears. "I wasn't being serious about showing you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, you should have. You should have told us this sooner," Peter said.

I rolled my eyes. "When would you have liked me to do that, Peter? In between Alice telling on me or your not giving a fuck about what she did? Forgive me that I couldn't find the time to tell you."

"You know what, Bella? We wouldn't even be in this mess if you hadn't of..."

"Enough," Charlotte snapped, glaring at Peter. "This argument is more your fault than anyone else's, Peter, and you know it. I don't want to hear another word from you about it right now," she hissed when he went to open his mouth, looking utterly _shocked_ that she was getting upset with him. "As for you, Bella, I will go down there right now and..."

"I would rather you didn't," I said, snorting. "Maybe I would have appreciated the gesture while she was here after I had told you what had happened, but now I don't really care. I'm over it. I can take care of myself. That's obviously what I'm going to have to do from now on."

Peter looked bothered by my words, while Charlotte just looked...broken, for lack of a better word.

Charlotte mumbled, "Isabella, that's..."

I cut her off with a laugh, a laugh so full of bitterness that it surprised even me. I wasn't expecting that. Calling me Isabella had always been her way of asking of a redo—a forgive and forgive type of thing—whenever we got upset with each other.

The only difference this time was that I didn't want a redo.

"Honestly. I don't care anymore. I want to move on from this whole situation, okay? I want to forget about it. Is that okay with you all, or are you going to send me up to my room again?"

Peter glared at me. "You know what, Bella? All I've ever wanted from you since the day I met you was to protect you! To protect and love you was all I ever wanted. What is the difference from all the other times and now?"

"The difference is now you're not protecting me. You're yelling at me, sending me to my room, and telling me that what someone did to me doesn't matter. All that matters is that _I_ provoked them!" I exclaimed. "If you want me to apologize, then fine. _I'm sorry_ for what I did, now please leave. Me. Alone."

"Bella..."

"Just leave me alone!" I shrieked, cutting off whatever Charlotte was about to say. "What part of leave me alone are neither of you understanding? Do I have to spell it out for you?"

After I finished screaming at them, an eerily calm silence fell over us. The tension was so thick that not even a knife could cut through it, and I began to wonder if them taking me in was such a good idea.

"Very well, then," Charlotte said, nodding. She stood up from my bed, straightened out the skirt she was wearing, and gave me another nod. "We'll leave you be. I'm going to call for pizza, and I'll bring it up to you once it's here. Peter."

She walked out the room quickly, then, and after giving me one last look, Peter left, too.

I fell back on my bed and immediately the tears began to fall again. I couldn't understand how one simple joke turned into this big, blown out of proportion argument.

I went from having a little fun with the town's vampires to questioning whether or not I really belonged with Peter and Charlotte.

"What a wonderful first day," I muttered sarcastically, throwing a pillow over my face and wishing for sleep.


	6. Chapter 6: And We're Off

**Highway to Hell**

A|N: Marina Diamandis. That is my Bella, though younger with longer hair. She is wonderful.

_Chapter 6: We're off to see the...Cullen's or the vampires?_

* * *

Waking up the next morning wasn't good for me at all. I was already scowling and unhappy. Normally, I wasn't a morning person—_ever_—but I usually woke up in much better moods that I had on that particular day. I hadn't felt so bitter in such a long time that I almost forgot how awful it felt. It took so much energy out of a person.

I didn't feel like getting out of bed. Once I went downstairs, things would only get awkward. However, I couldn't take the taste of my morning breath another second, so I eventually got out of the bed and headed for the bathroom, brushing my teeth first before I did anything else.

_._

_._

_._

_._

I sighed for what was probably the millionth time that morning as I ran a brush through my hair. I wasn't at all in the mood for doing it, so I quickly threw it up into a messy bun and called it a day. My outfit, as usual, was simple: red, long-sleeved t-shirt with a slightly tight fit, black leggings and red chucks. I looked in the mirror and allowed myself a tiny smile. Though I hadn't done much, especially when it came to my makeup, I still liked the way I looked. I particularly liked the way my clothes fit on me. If there was one thing I liked about myself, it was my body. I filled out quite nicely, I thought.

_And this is what people call stalling,_ I thought to myself after I'd just been standing in the mirror for what felt like hours.

I _was_ stalling—doing everything I could to keep from going downstairs. I didn't want to face them yet, didn't want to remember yesterday.

"Now or never."

I sighed once more, nodded, and then quickly left the bathroom before I could back out. It wasn't that I was scared to face them or anything like that, but I was still a little upset, they probably were, too, and I knew another argument could break out at any moment if either of us said the wrong thing. I was too tired to fight anymore.

"Good morning, Bella," Char murmured as I leaned against the kitchen door. "Did you sleep well?"

It seemed we were going to ignore the elephant in the room.

I shrugged. "Well enough."

"Better than nothing, I suppose," was her response.

I nodded and walked further into kitchen, frowning. "What's that smell?"

"I tried to make you eggs," Char replied sheepishly. "That didn't work out too well. Sorry. I successfully managed to heat up your pizza, though."

"'A' for effort."

She cracked a smile, I sat down at our little island, and she handed me two slices of pizza. "Thanks."

As I began to eat, she sat on the opposite side of me and a calm, tension free silence fell over us. There was slight awkwardness on my part, but only because Charlotte hadn't stopped looking at me since we sat down.

"Where's Peter?" I asked her after a while. I hadn't seen him once that morning.

She answered, "Upstairs. He's pouting."

"And he calls _me_ the teenage girl." I rolled my eyes. "I'm sorry for a lot of the things I said last night, but I'm still really upset."

Charlotte nodded. "I understand where you're coming from."

"I felt really...betrayed. Maybe I shouldn't feel that way, but I do," I explained, feeling free to do so. "I mean, I get it, I shouldn't have taunted them the way I did, especially since their vampires, but Peter...did he really have to overreact that way? Did he really have to take her side? Honestly, what was that?"

Before Charlotte could answer, Peter was suddenly standing in front of me, and I jumped, nearly choking on my pizza.

"God, stop doing that!" I snapped, glaring at him. No matter how long I lived with them, I would _never_ get used to that.

His lips twitched, and if we weren't in the middle of a fight, he would've smirked at me and then laughed. "That was my parenting you."

"That was some really bad..."

"I'll give you that," he said, cutting me off. "I could have gone about it in a much better way, and I'm sorry, okay? I was only trying to protect you, though. I'm aware that you can take care of yourself, but she was still a vampire, and I'm still your dad, and I still expect you to come to me when you find yourself in trouble."

"You still took her side. You still said that you didn't care about what she did, meaning you don't really care about what she did to me," I pointed out. I wasn't ready to forgive him just yet.

He sighed. "Of course I care about what she did to you, which is why I wished you'd have come to me so I could take care of it. I think you're missing my whole point, though, B. I wasn't taking any sides. I was—_am_—pissed at Alice, but I was more worried about you at the time and how easily you could have been hurt or killed!"

"I was hurt," I muttered rather petulantly. "Physically and emotionally."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Am I forgiven or what?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I took the time to think over all of yesterday's events, and I realized we were both in the wrong, and the argument we had could have easily been avoided if we'd just talked to each other.

_It could have easily been avoided if Alice wasn't such a snitching bitch,_ I thought.

"I don't know, dad. Am I forgiven?" I asked, knowing what I said to him was completely unnecessary. "And mom? I was more than a little out of line yesterday with the things I said and the way I yelled at you, and I'm sorry, too."

"I think we both got a little too teenage girl-ish on each other yesterday," Peter said. "So, let's forget it ever happened."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "In all honesty, do I even need to apologize for anything? I have this thing where I _don't_ like to discuss family issues or argue in front of non-family members, which you and Peter both know. If you had both just waited until Alice and Edward left, this all could have easily been avoided."

Peter and I rolled our eyes. She was right, of course.

"Any other time you're the HBIC, so really, this is your fault," Peter said. "If you'd just taken charge like you usually do, we could have skipped this whole thing."

Charlotte nodded and said, "I could have, but the more I tried to get you to calm down, the more fueled up you got. Sometimes, I just have to sit back and let you make an ass out of yourself." Peter scowled, and I giggled. He really had made an ass out of himself, but I supposed I had, too. She continued, "But none of that even matters anymore. Today is a new day. We are family, and no matter what, we will _always_ stick up for each other, okay?"

"Okay," Peter and I said together.

"It might not be when you want it"-she gave me a pointed look-"but it'll happen. With that said, I don't _ever_ want something like this to happen again," Char said firmly. "Bella, you don't ever get to say something like that to your father ever again. He has been more than a good dad to you and no amount of arguments or hurt feelings will change that. Peter, what you did was just an utter asshole move and didn't have to happen, so don't let it again. If I have anything to apologize for, it's for letting things get as far as they did, so I'm sorry."

"Aw, group hug!" Peter squealed, pulling the both of us into his arms easily.

We laughed and hugged him back happily, and just like that, it was like nothing had ever happened.

As Peter moved to let us go, he rubbed his hand along our backs gently in a loving manner, and I winced, my back sensitive to the touch. Before I had time to react, I found myself pinned awkwardly between the island and my parents who were standing way too close for my comfort, my shirt up as they looked over my back. I hadn't been lying when I said it was all bruised up from when Alice pushed me against the wall.

"I am going to kill her," Charlotte growled.

I felt their fingers tracing the bruises, and I winced, turning my head back to glare at them. "Are you really doing that? It hurts!"

"Sorry," they both said, stepping away immediately.

I straightened up and turned so I was facing them again and shook my head. "I'd rather you guys _didn't_ kill her. For some reason, I feel that should be _my_ job."

"But until you can do that, I'll take care of her," Charlotte said, a look so fierce in her eye that I didn't bother to protest what she said.

_._

_._

_._

_._

"Annnnnnnnnd _we're off to see the..._Cullen's or vampires?" I finished my song with a question, not knowing which one I wanted to use. "I think both flow really well with the tune."

During our short ride over to their house, I'd been singing the popular line from _The Wizard of Oz_. We'd just turned into their drive way when it hit me that I could use their name or what they were in the song and it woulds till flow nicely.

"I don't really care, just cut it out already," Peter said, scowling at me through his mirror. He'd gotten tired of it by the third time around. It was never his favorite movie. I was convinced he was afraid of it. Char laughed and patted his back softly to comfort him.

"Fine. I'll decide on my..." My talking abruptly cut off as we pulled up to the Cullen's residence, and my eyes widened. "Holy sh..."-Charlotte turned to glare at me-"shoot. Holy shoot," I finished, causing Peter to laugh at me. "I thought we were going to their house. This isn't a house. What _we_ have is a house. _This_ is a freaking mansion, guys. A freaking mansion," I repeated for emphasis.

"They do appreciate the finer things life has to offer," Peter said, shutting the car off. "Of course it's a mansion."

Before I could comment on that, Charlotte was out the car and in the house faster than my eyes could keep up with. I moved as fast as was possible for me and followed her inside, Peter running with me at my pace.

"You little _bitch_!" I could hear Charlotte scream from inside once we made it to the door.

We walked inside, followed her voice, and made it into their living room in time to see Charlotte slamming Alice into the wall, holding on to her neck in a fierce grip.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your head off right now," Charlotte hissed.

At that time, a woman, who I was assuming to be Esme since I'd met the others, yelled, "Girls, please! Can't you see she's already missing her arms? Isn't that punishment enough?"

Her words were enough to give Charlotte pause, who leaned back slightly and looked Alice up and down, apparently having missed the fact that Alice was, in fact, armless.

"Huh, I don't know how I missed that," Char said. Her hand visibly loosened around Alice's neck, but she didn't remove it completely.

After that, we sat in silence for a while. At least, everyone save for Emmett, Peter and I. Our quiet snorts and giggles eventually turned into full on, gut-busting laughter. I didn't know what they found funny from out situation, but seeing an armless, feet-dangling Alice flopping around like a fish out of water was the funniest thing I had ever seen. Add in the look of fear plus the dead walrus sound she was making, and someone would have thought I was _dying_ because I was laughing so hard.

"Oh, sweet Jesus," I muttered in between giggles, having calmed down enough to speak. "I can't..." I looked at Alice and my laughter started up once again. In reality, it probably wasn't even as funny as I thought, but that didn't stop me from falling to my knees, clutching my stomach tightly because it hurt, and I couldn't breathe. "Oh, sweet, sweet Jesus. I can't breathe!"

I don't know how long I stayed down on the floor, but I eventually got up, chuckling every now and then. I wiped away the tears that came from my laughing fit and shook my head, one last burst of giggles bubbling from out of me.

"Woo!" I exclaimed, shaking my head again. "That was good."

When I was officially calm, I was finally able to get a good look around the room. If I wasn't all laughed out, I probably would've started up again upon seeing the way everyone was staring at me, as if there was something wrong with me! Even Peter and Emmett were looking at me like I'd lost my head.

"I'm sorry. This was just the greatest thing ever, and my mother is so bad ass, and I just...sorry," I said. "I'm done now."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and let Alice go, the spark of anger no longer in eyes. "You just killed my mood, B. Thanks."

"No problem," I replied, smirking.

She stuck her tongue out at me, smirked herself, and then went over to sit by Peter, who had taken on seat on their love seat. I made a move to follow after her, but before I could take more than a step, a body was in front of me. With a little screech, I found myself falling backward in surprise, but a hand from the body in front of me shot up and stilled me.

"I'm sorry. I just figured you were used to that by now," Rosalie said, shrugging.

I huffed. "You would think."

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, so...sorry."

That surprised me more than her suddenly appearing in front of me did. "What do you mean?"

"The way Alice and I came up to you yesterday..." She trailed off, giving me a weird look.

I nodded. "That! I actually forgot that you were even involved in that, you know? It was mostly Alice, and I am now completely over it, especially after seeing she's gotten her arms ripped off and almost died by my mother. Who did it anyway?" I asked.

A coy, little smirk played on Rosalie's lips when she answered, "Jasper."

I didn't like the way she answered that, all proud and happy-like. I was more bothered by her answer, though. I didn't really believe her, either, until I looked over at Alice and saw the glare she was sending my way, as if it were _my_ fault.

"Where is he anyway?" I questioned, noticing for the first time that he wasn't gathered around the living room with us.

A man, who I knew to be Carlisle, cleared his throat then and spoke for the first time, saying, "He went hunting. He should be back soon."

I wasn't too sure that I wanted to be there when he got back.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Charlotte asked, looking mildly concerned.

I shook my head. "No. I'm just...really confused right now. I've just been under the impression all this time that mates couldn't hurt one another."

I felt his presence before he even stepped foot in the house, the hair on the back of my neck standing up tall. I didn't know when I became so in-tune with him, but I was, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. It was weird, and slightly disturbing, the feeling of just _knowing_ I got when he walked into the house. I couldn't hear his footsteps, couldn't see him walk past me, but I knew he was upstairs—in the room above the living room, to be exact.

"They can't. I mean, they could, but they wouldn't dare. It would go against everything in their nature," he said, leaning against the doorway of the living room. "Everything in their heart, too." His tone was serious, but his eyes were laughing, and soon he was sporting a smile much bigger than I ever imagined would grace his face. "Jasper. Jasper Whitlock," he introduced himself officially, appearing in front of me faster than I could see because of his being a vampire.

The only difference between him doing it and others was my being perfectly fine.

"Bella Whitlock," I answered, and his smile grew a little more.


	7. Chapter 7: Meet And Greet

_**Highway to Hell**_

Chapter 7: Meet and Greet.

* * *

"It's nice to officially meet you, Ms. Whitlock," Jasper said, extending an arm so I could shake his hand.

I allowed a little smile and took his hand. "You, too."

We didn't let each other's hand go for a while, both of us seemingly content to just stand there holding on. The way I felt as I looked at him then was a stark contrast from how I felt the day before—from how I felt just _seconds_ ago, really. Staring at him then, I didn't know what I'd been so afraid of before. Sure, I knew what he did, but that was it. He built a reputation, but he wasn't _the_ reputation itself.

_Does that even make sense?_ I questioned myself.

It probably didn't, but that didn't matter. The point was that I shouldn't have judged him based on the summary given to him by other people. Biased or unbiased, the comfortableness I felt around him at that very moment shocked me. I didn't know where it was coming from. Even if I didn't know most of his history, he was still someone I felt I wouldn't want to be near. His presence was extremely daunting. Yet, here I was not wanting to leave.

It was scary, these feelings that were stirring inside me. I couldn't put a name to them there were so many, but they brought butterflies to my stomach.

I just wanted to be his friend, and he smiled at me because he knew that.

Eventually, someone cleared their throat, and we—a bit reluctantly on my part—released our hands from the other's grip, and he backed away.

"Besides Char really wanting to hurt Alice, we came here to officially introduce you all to our daughter and clear up any confusion she may have caused," Peter said, giving me a pointed look.

I grinned. "I'm sure their confusion has been cleared up. Jasper here seems to know everything."

Jasper was going to respond, but Carlisle jumped in before he could. "We only know that you're with them, you're their daughter. We don't know the why's or how yet," he explained. "Carlisle Cullen, by the way."

"I'm happy to finally meet you, too," I told him honestly, shaking his offered hand as well. "Mom and dad have always spoken highly of you and your wife."

He grinned, and his mate stepped up to me next. "Esme. I've been so excited to meet you! Anyone raised by Peter and Charlotte I _know_ must be amazing."

"Damn straight," both my parents answered together.

I laughed. "They are really great at what they do." I went to shake her hand, but she shook her head and pulled me in for a hug instead. I stiffened, my arms caged between hers, and mumbled, "Um..."

"Oh, dear. I'm sorry. That was too forward of me, wasn't it? Esme guessed, breaking our embrace.

"You just caught me by surprise is all," I told her. True, I wasn't really a hugger, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings or anything. I stepped to the side, wanting to get out of the half circle of vampires I found myself in, and nodded at Emmett in greeting. "Nice to see you again, as well."

Emmett's grin was huge, and I couldn't help but return it, finding myself immediately drawn in by him. "Hey there, Bell's."

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't aware that we were on a nickname bases already." My eyebrow rose in question, and his smile dropped slightly.

"Oh, I..."

"I'm kidding," I assured him.

He looked at me for a moment, I guessed trying to see if I was serious or not still, before his smile was back. I grinned in return and finally made my way over to my parents, sitting beside Charlotte. I said "hi" to Edward when I walked past him, but he gave no indication that he heard me, though I knew that he couldn't have _not_ have heard me. He didn't look all too thrilled at the moment, anyway, so I shrugged it off.

"I'm Peter, and this is my wife Charlotte," Peter said. "In case we were forgotten or something."

"You weren't, we just don't feel the need to acknowledge your presence, is all," came Alice's bitchy response.

I chuckled and spitefully replied, "I'd come over there to shake your hand, too, but I guess you need arms to do that."

There were a few laughs, a couple of sighs, and one angry growl, which came from Alice, who went to lunge at me but was stopped by Carlisle.

"I think you've done enough already, Alice," he said. Carlisle sounded as if he were working really hard to stay calm when he spoke, which surprised me because from what I knew, he never got upset. _Ever_. "Sit down and behave," he scolded her as if she were a child.

Alice did as she was told, her eyes never leaving mine, and her glare never softening. I rolled my eyes and shrugged off her hostility the same way I'd done Edward's indifference. Neither one of them had a reason to not like me, so why they were behaving like I'd kicked their puppy and like I wasn't around was so far beyond me.

"I'm sorry about that," Esme said, wrapping her arms around Carlisle's waist when he went to sit with her on another couch.

"Don't apologize for actions she doesn't regret. They don't bother me, anyway."

That was a lie, though. Her behavior bothered me immensely. I hadn't even _met_ the girl before yesterday, and she hated me already.

For a while, no one seemed to know what to say. We all kind of just stared at each other until we got caught, which would make us look away quickly or move on to look at the next person. The whole thing was quite comical, really.

Finally, the quiet became too much for Peter, and he asked, "Are there any questions?"

"Well, of course there are questions," Carlisle answered. He chuckled. "I was only trying to come up with as many theories as I possibly could before I got to the question that I assume to be on everyone's mind: how did you three come to be a family?"

I laughed. "I bet you didn't theorize the right one."

"Try me." He smirked, leaned forward a bit, and waited for me to tell him what really happened—challenging me.

"When I was four, my parents were murdered in front of me," I began, also leaning forward. This bit of information seemed to catch them all off guard from the way their eyes widened just the tiniest bit. Even Alice seemed a little put off by that. Edward's interest in me was peaked, then, as he eyed me intently. "I don't remember much of that night, though. What I _do_ remember is being chased by the killer"-a chorus of gasps sounded-"into mom and Dad's house."

I left out a bit of detail of what all I remembered, but I didn't think they needed to know _all_ of what I remembered from the night I became an orphan.

"Char here fought tooth and nail for her, guys, let me tell you," Peter said, laughing as he recalled that night. "It was one of the most annoying moments of my life, I swear. I was convinced Charlotte was going to take my head off."

"Apparently, he wanted nothing to do with me," I told them.

Charlotte giggled. "I'm convinced Peter secretly wanted her from the beginning, and he's just too much of a macho-man to admit it." She pinched his cheeks playfully, and he rolled his eyes in return. "It was honestly one of the best night's in our entire existence."

"Yeah. There's nothing for us if little Isabella isn't in our life anymore." Peter smiled at me, his eyes full of an emotion that could be nothing but love. He quickly looked away, though, and cleared his throat. "She's been a pain in my ass ever since."

"Smooth," was me and Charlotte's response to his quick switch up.

Esme's placed her hand over her heart, and her smile was blinding. "Oh, you three are all so cute together! A very beautiful family, I love it."

"Thanks," we all said at the same time.

"I've very sorry about your birth parents, Bella," Carlisle added.

I nodded. "Thank you."

"This is sweet and all, but my biggest concern here is the Volturi," Edward stated. I was surprised he was was actually listening, to be honest. "If they get wind of this, what are you going to do?"

Charlotte jumped in before Peter could with, "How are they ever going to 'get wind' of this? We've been keeping this on the DL pretty well, only ever telling you guys that she's ours."

"If word of this ever got out, it wouldn't be because we got careless," Peter chimed in.

Their tones held heavy threats and warnings, clearly prepared to do whatever it took to keep me with them if push came to shove.

If I didn't believe they truly loved me and saw me as their daughter, there was no doubt in my mind anymore.

Carlisle smiled. "I assure you they won't be hearing from us, either. However, if something did happen that got the Volturi involved, we'd stand beside you. We're all family, and family sticks together."

"I will be doing no such thing," Alice said.

"No one really cares what you will or will not be doing, Alice," I snapped. "And didn't anyone ever teach you if you have nothing nice to say to not say anything at all? Or do they tell you to forget about your manners when you're locked up in a mental institution?"

Emmett chortled. "Burn!"

"Alice, please just stop with this nonsense already. Bella didn't do anything to you, so there's no need to be so hostile," Rosalie said, sending a mild glare her way. "Jasper, where are her arms? I think she should have them back now. She can't go to school this way."

"If she had no other choice, she could," was his response.

I frowned, remembering my earlier confusion involving Alice's missing arms and Jasper. "I'm still confused. If mates don't want to hurt their mate, why would you do that to Alice? I thought that went against the nature or whatever."

"Obviously we're not mates, Isabella," Jasper said, rolling his eyes.

I did _not_ like his tone. "I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were."

"But your tone and eye roll suggested otherwise. Forgive me for not knowing that information, Jasper. I was told you were, so I assumed you were."

Again, he rolled his eyes. "But if you know mates can't hurt their mates, and it's already been established that I am the one that removed Alice's arms, then clearly we're not mates, right? I don't know, Isabella. You said you weren't stupid, but I'm starting to think otherwise."

"Are you always such a jerk?" I asked. Had it been anyone else I was having this conversation with, I wouldn't have cared what they thought of me or said, but since it was Jasper, it felt more like a stab in the back, for some reason. "And why'd you do that anyway?"

He shrugged. "I've been told that I am. As for Alice, she pissed me off."

"_Wow_." I laughed, standing up. "Earlier, I'd been thinking I was wrong for judging you, but now I see that I was exactly right. You are what everyone says you are: a rude, inconsiderate asshole. I don't like Alice, but I wouldn't go ripping her arms off every time she pissed me off. You're right, Jasper, I _am_ stupid for ever thinking you were different."

He looked taken aback by my words. "Wait, Bella, I..."

I don't know who was more caught off guard with this sudden turn of events: them or me. I was thinking me.

"I don't really care what you are. You have successfully managed to terrify the shit out of me _and_ offend me in the span of 24 hours. I am _so_ done with you, Jasper Whitlock, you have _no_ idea." I stood up, then, prepared to leave. "It was really nice meeting you and seeing you all again. I would stay, but I would really like to get home now, so until next time."

I offered them a smile before heading out quickly. If I stayed any longer, I was sure I'd suffocate.

_._

_._

_._

_._

The ride home was quiet, and I was grateful for that. If we'd spent it talking, I wouldn't have been able to think, therefore I wouldn't have been able to give my parents an answer when they began to bombard me with questions regarding the last few minutes of our time at the Cullen's.

We'd only made it to our porch before the questioning began. We all took a seat on our little, two-step porch, and Peter was the first to ask something.

"So, what happened back there, kiddo?" he asked. "I'm having a hard time believing that Alice having no arms is what has you upset. What was going through your head?"

I shook my head and let out a little sigh. It wasn't that at all. "I...don't really know. Things had been going so well between Jasper and I, and then out of nowhere he's behaving like a jerk and calling me stupid. That upset me; it _hurt_ me. Why would he call me stupid over a minor mistake? Why would he be a jerk? I'd been so comfortable with him at first, and I'd hoped..."

"You'd hoped that..." Charlotte trailed off, nodding slowly for me to continue.

I sighed again, disappointed with the day's outcome. "I was hoping that he would have been different. I felt so comfortable around him today. I don't know why, but I did, and I liked it, and I didn't want to leave. I just wanted to be his friend, but then, you know, he started acting like an ass for no reason. And you're right, dad. It wasn't that Alice got her arms removed that bothers me. It was the way he said it, the way he looked—so unforgiving and callous. She pissed him off, so he has to rip her arms off? Yes, in a state of anger or annoyance I might threaten to kill her or something, but that's all it is—a _threat_. He actually goes and _hurts_ people because they piss him off! Of course I don't want to be with him."

Charlotte gave me a funny look, tilting her head to side slightly. "You don't have to be with him. No one said you did."

"I just meant of course I don't want to be _friends_ with him," I corrected. My cheeks warmed, and I rolled my eyes. "Slip of the tongue, I suppose."

And that was all it was, a slight slip of the tongue. What I'd said implied I wanted to be with him on a level higher than friendship, and that wasn't what I'd wanted at all.

_But would it be so bad if it was?_

I didn't even entertain the thought. Yes, it would be very bad. No doubt I'd end up regretting it in the long run.

"Okay," Charlotte said with a nod, dropping the subject without further questioning. "So, do you see yourself trying to strike up a friendship with him ever again?"

"No."

"That would make it a bit awkward at family reunions," Peter guessed.

I cracked a smile. "Probably."

"Well, we understand, and your mother and I would never force anyone on you for _our_ benefit," he said.

"I know."

Charlotte smiled. "Good. How about we head inside and start a movie, forget today ever happened?"

"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna stay out here for a bit," I replied.

"When it starts getting colder, come inside. I don't want you getting sick," she told me, ever the worrying mother.

I nodded, and they both went inside. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my forehead on them, closing my eyes and thinking the day over.

Unlike yesterday with my parents, I didn't feel conflicted about getting so upset with Jasper. He was rude and aloof, and I didn't like that. I didn't _have_ to put up with it, I didn't _want_ to. I felt justified in my feelings, so why did I feel so bad at the thought of acting on them? And why did the thought of not even being his friend hurt so much?

_Losing a friend you never had shouldn't make me feel this bad, _I thought.

It shouldn't, but it did.

I hadn't just felt comfortable with Jasper; I felt whole. Just the thought of never speaking to him again made me feel empty inside. It was ridiculous and more than just a little upsetting, how attached I suddenly was.

I shouldn't feel this way for him at all. He made me feel stupid, and he acted like an ass. I should feel absolutely nothing for him.

_"I don't know, Isabella. You said you weren't stupid, but I'm starting to think otherwise," he'd said._

With that thought in mind, I jumped up and made my way into the house, quickly finding my parents cuddled up together on the couch watching a movie.

"Finally caught it, did you?" Peter said. He leaned forward to grab the DVD remote off the coffee table and paused their movie. "We were surprised you didn't say anything about it while we were still there."

"He called me Isabella," I said, stating what was the obvious to them. "That's not okay. Everyone else calls me Bella, why does he think he doesn't have to? Did he not think there was a reason I don't want to be called that or is he just _completely_ uncaring about me that he'll do it anyway?"

Charlotte shook her head, unwrapping herself from Peter and turning to look at me fully. "He didn't know, and I don't think you should punish him for _that_. Just tell him next time."

To anyone else, getting angry over being called by my name would have seemed strange and probably childish, but my parents understood. They didn't like that I'd practically disowned my name, but they understood. "Isabella" had no good memories. "Isabella" had nothing to live for. "Isabella" was broken.

Bella _wasn't_.

I hadn't been called that in such a long time. How I hadn't caught it earlier was beyond me.

"I don't want to associate him with..._him_," I mumbled.

Peter simply replied, "Then don't."


	8. Chapter 8: What Are Friends For?

**Highway to Hell**

A|N: Chapter title below is a line from _Nameless_ by Florence + The Machine. I thought it was appropriate. This chapter mentions self-harm briefly.

_Chapter 8: 'Cause what's in a name?_

* * *

_"Baby, I'm gonna leave you drowning until you reach for my hand,"_ Marina declared loudly from my speakers. _"In the night your heart is full and by the morning empty, but, baby, I'm the one that left you; you're not the one who left me. When you're around me, I'm radioactive! My blood is burning__—radioactive. I'm turning radioactive."_

Because of all the unnecessary drama that was Friday, going over to the Cullen's place on Saturday and then coming home and watching movies all night, we hadn't gotten the chance to set up the house, yet. Peter and Charlotte could have it all done in a matter of minutes, of course, an hour to the max, but I'd wanted to help, so they left everything alone until we could all just take a day and do it together. That day came on Sunday morning with Peter barging into my room, pulling the covers off me, and then shaking me awake.

I wasn't too thrilled at first, but once I realized why he'd done it, I was excited. Our furnniture had already been set, which meant we could get straight to the fun stuff.

_"Put something on that can get get dirty and stained," he'd said. "We're re-painting first."_

After taking care of the hygiene portion of my morning, I did as he said and put on an A-shirt and a pair of shorts I ran in before quickly making my way downstairs. They'd already covered all the things we'd want to stay paint-free, so all I had to do was pick out the colors. Once that was done, I'd plugged my iPOD into it's dock, and we got started.

"_My heart is nuclear. Love is all that I fear_," Peter sang along with her, dancing over to the paint tray to get more.

I laughed, and Charlotte cheered him on.

"Shake it, baby!" she yelled, whistling for him.

Peter did just that, bending down slightly, placing his hands on his knees and, as he said, "backed his thang up." Charlotte got up seconds later and stood behind him, thrusting her hips forward to me his ass.

"Oh, God, please stop!" I begged, trying not to laugh so not to encourage them. "This is inappropriate on _so_ many levels, guys. And we'll never get done this way!"

Eventually, they stopped, and we got back to painting, finishing up all of the downstairs rather quickly. It would have gone faster had Peter not spent most of his time dancing and complaining about the "ridiculous pace set by humans."

We cleaned up our mess and then stood in the middle of the room, checking our work.

"Ah, I see what you mean now, Bella," Charlotte said after a while. "That red definitely works. I'm liking it much better now than I had the yellow."

We'd spent over thirty minutes arguing, trying to make the other give in to the color we wanted, and I believed it would have still been going had Peter _not_ stepped in with his compromise: the living would be red and their room would be yellow.

"Just makes everything...pop," she continued.

I nodded in agreement. "Definitely. Plus, with the window angled where it's at with the curtains opened, it'll be really bright and open."

"A living that says 'guests are welcome."

I grinned, glad that she finally saw what I'd envisioned. "Precisely."

"I can't with you two anymore." Peter scowled at us. "You're both just so ridiculous, I swear. You're both driving me fucking crazy right now."

Charlotte threw an unused painted brush at him and scowled back. "You're one to talk about someone being ridiculous Mr. Let's Just Paint The Fucking Room Black."

"I only said that because you two were this close to ripping each other's hair out over _paint_," he returned, rolling his eyes. He threw his arms in the air in exasperation and said, "The shit you two argue over has no meaning behind it whatsoever, but that's not even what's bothering me! What's bothering me is how now, you're both like 'oh, it's sooo inviting,' 'wow, look how it _pops_' and 'it's sooo _goddamned_ bright and open.'"

We didn't say anything for the longest time, and then we simultaneously burst into giggles. He was _honestly_ annoyed with us.

"I'm sorry for driving you crazy, daddy," I said between laughs, giving him a little hug. "I'll try not to from now on, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay."

"I'm not even sorry," Charlotte said, snorting. "I quite enjoyed that little hissy fit you just threw."

Peter rolled his eyes, but he chuckled, too, knowing she was right.

"All right, so let's start upstairs so we can..." Peter trailed off, and he and Charlotte's head snapped to the right.

I frowned. "You guys are doing that weird, exorcist-like thing again. What's up? Should I be worried?"

"No. It's just a few...friends," Charlotte said, shrugging.

I raised an eyebrow. I did _not_ like her tone. "There was too long of a pause in between 'few' and 'friends,' and your nose is starting to crinkle up like it does when you're lying or hiding something. Spill, mom. Spill."

"Are we letting them in or what? They're getting a bit impatient," Peter said.

"Since when are you ever so excited to hang out with other people that aren't me or mom?" I asked, knowing by the look on his face that I was right by my assumption. He was _excited_, and nothing happened from us laughing about our paint argument to the Cullen's showing up at our door. And then it hit me. I should have realized it sooner, it was so obvious. "It's Jasper. You're excited to see Jasper. _Fuck_."

"Bella," Charlotte warned.

I rolled my eyes, apologized, and then glared at nothing. I didn't want to see him. I was tired of thinking about Jasper. It was honestly all I really did the night before!

"You two saw each other yesterday," I said. "And I'm thinking you guys saw each other on Friday, too."

Peter shrugged. "And?"

I scowled at him. Why he ever bothered to hide just how much Jasper meant to him, and just how excited he was to see him again after so long, was beyond me because he was so obvious about it, but now he wasn't even trying.

"What happen to you never trying to force anyone on me?" I asked.

He nodded, a look of understanding clouding his face. "You're right. I'll them..."

"I didn't say I had a problem with anyone other than Jasper," I pointed out.

He frowned. "True..."

"Let them in, dad. I'm only teasing," I said, and it was the truth. I didn't necessarily want to see Jasper, but I wasn't so upset that I would try to ban him from coming inside or something.

Peter was gone to the door in a blink of an eye, and just before we heard it open, realization seemed to dawn on both me and Charlotte at the same time as we yelled out, "Wait!"

Years ago, I'd been in a really bad place. Haunted by the death of my parents, my days were long and hard and I was just never happy. All the counselors I'd seen weren't helpful in the least. I wanted to forget; they wanted me to remember. Well, eventually, I'd found my own ways to cope and "move on." My ways dangerous and unhealthy, but they worked.

When I was fifteen, I started hurting myself. At first, I only ever did it when I just couldn't handle the day and all my thoughts or whenever I was just too indifferent and needed to feel, but eventually, it became an addiction. Even when I really didn't want to, I did it.

It wasn't as easy as it sounded, though. I couldn't just take a blade and drag it across my skin. Living with vampires for parents made that nearly impossible. I'd have to wait for my menstrual cycle to start because they wouldn't question it nearly as much as they would if I were just bleeding on any other day. On days where I couldn't use my period as an excuse, I'd use the lighter Peter had given me, but that proved difficult, too. With their super-sniffers, it wasn't difficult to detect the scent of burning flesh.

When Peter and Charlotte began to grow suspicious, I found other methods. There were a few falls down the stairs, a couple of "accidental" broken bones, and a number of fights that ended in me purposefully losing.

Eventually, they caught on to what I was doing, I got the help I needed, and I stopped doing those things, but the end result of doing those things to myself was a very scarred body.

They were ugly and embarrassing, and if anyone ever saw them I would die of mortification. Not only that, but I didn't feel like being judged or mocked for them. For both of those reasons, I always worse long sleeves and pants in front of others.

"Go on up if you need to change, B," Charlotte said, jerking her head gently to the left where the stairs were.

I nodded and went, catching Peter's sad, little smile as I went.

Upon entering my room, I slipped into a pair of sweats and a black, long-sleeved t-shirt, opting to keep on what I'd been wearing under it. I didn't expect them to stay too long.

I knew the moment he was in the house. I knew he was coming up here. I could count the steps it took him to get to my bedroom door, so I did.

Jasper knocked softly on the door, and my heart sped up.

"Bella, can I come in?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. He was making me nervous, but not for the reasons that he should have. "You're a vampire. You can do whatever you want, and you know it."

"May I come in?"

I was getting that feeling again—the one where I felt utterly at ease and whole; that one feeling that gave me butterflies in my stomach.

"If you must," I said.

He took his time in opening the door, slowly revealing himself to me. When our eyes met, he smiled, and I glared. If he thought I was going to play nice, he was wrong.

"You're angry."

I snorted. "No shit, Sherlock."

"I understand why. The way I behaved yesterday was completely uncalled for, and I'm sorry," he apologized. "Can you forgive me?"

I shook my head. "I shouldn't have to forgive you because you shouldn't have acted that way in the first place."

"I know," he said.

"You called me stupid."

Jasper nodded. "I know that, too."

I asked, "Why?"

"That's…complicated," he mumbled.

I laughed, and I knew a look of completely bewilderment clouded my face. "How is it complicated? You had to have had a reason to call me stupid. You had to have a reason to behave like a jerk toward me."

Jasper shook his head and took a step forward, while I stepped back. He sighed. "That's also complicated."

"Oh, for God's sake!" I snapped, throwing my arms in the air in exasperation. "This is…this is absolutely ridiculous, and I want you to get out."

He grimaced. "Isabella…"

"No. No." I shook my head, done. "Get out. I don't want you here anymore. You can't apologize for something and then say it's 'complicated' when asked to explain. Obviously, you're not really sorry, and I want you to leave."

Jasper sighed again and then said, "I am sorry, Isabella, really. These past two days I've just been…I was hit with some extremely unexpected news, and I've just been trying to deal with it. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I was frustrated, and I'm sorry."

I folded my arms across my chest and watched him for a while, tilting my head slightly to the side as I tried to figure out what was wrong with me.

I'd forgiven him the second he apologized, and by the slight rise of the left side of his mouth, he knew it.

The question was: _why_ had I forgiven so easily him? If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have done that. If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn't even be talking to them so soon.

But it wasn't just anyone else. It was Jasper, and I was starting to realize that he meant a great deal to me, though, again, I didn't know why. I didn't know how. I wasn't even really sure on when I started feeling that way, but it felt like I'd always felt that way.

_I feel like I'm just going in circles trying to figure myself out,_ I thought.

"Why are you smiling? Stop it, it's weird!" I exclaimed, frowning.

I hadn't taken my eyes off him once while I thought, and he hadn't taken his off me. His face remained neutral while he waited for me to speak, but as our time in silence grew, so did that little smile I'd noticed.

"You forgive me," he said.

"Are you always this annoying with your gift?" I asked, rolling my eyes and letting out a little huff, knowing that was exactly what it was. "Always this…obvious?"

Jasper chuckled. "I can assure I'm not, but in this case I couldn't help it."

"Why not?"

"You like me."

It took me a while to register what he'd said, but when I did, my eyes widened, and my cheeks colored. "Excuse me?"

"If it makes you feel better, I would have known without my gift, too. I'm not the only one being obvious here, though," he pointed out.

I scoffed. "I am not being obvious about anything, thank you very much."

"It's okay, though," he continued as if I hadn't said anything. "I like you, too, Isabella. I want to be your friend just as much as you want to be mine."

I rolled my eyes, but I didn't protest. There was no point because he knew how I felt, and I really did want to be his friend. I would just have to work on controlling my emotions from him—hiding them. I remembered Peter once telling me that it was possible with a lot of concentration.

"Look, I forgive you, but you _cannot_ call me something that is not my name again. And the minute you start behaving like a jerk again, I will not talk to you anymore. I mean it. I don't put up with jerks."

He nodded. "I understand."

"Well, good," I said, not really knowing what else to say. "Now that that's out the way, I hope you don't mind getting a little dirty."

"I don't, but why?"

I smiled. "I figured, since you all came and interrupted what we were doing, you could also help. We've got to get our painting up here done before we can really get started on our decorating and stuff."

"I'd be happy to help," he said, sounding genuine.

_._

_._

_._

_._

"'_Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in, so shame on me now. Flew me to places I'd never been, so you put me down,_" Rosalie confessed right along with Taylor Swift, putting on quite the show while she hung up a few posters of mine.

After Jasper and I made up—if that was even the right thing to call it—we headed back downstairs. After the colors that we'd be using for the rooms upstairs were all picked, we spent the next two hours painting. It would have took less time, but we all proved to be bad multitaskers. It was pathetic, really, how easily we got distracted. Although, I think they were mostly humoring me, what with their being able to focus on a hundred things at once since they were vampires and all.

When the paint was dry, Peter and Charlotte began setting up their room, while Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett helped me out with mine. All I had to do was hang some things on my wall, but that was taking a long time, too, because we all had to stop and sing something.

Emmett joined in, "_Now I'm laying on the cold hard ground, **oh**! Trouble, trouble, trouble._"

"Enough with this God awful song. Please," Jasper pleaded, dropping a poster he'd been hanging up on my wall and heading over to my speaker so he could change the song.

_"Is it still me that makes you sweat? Am I who you think about in bed, when the lights are dim and your hands are shaking as you're sliding off your dress?"_

"This works," Emmett said. "I don't know this song or anything about the band, but I like it."

I smiled. Emmett and I had hit off immediately, and I wasn't surprised by that. He was so charming, and sweet, and really funny. Upon first meeting Emmett, he came off as your typical jock who didn't care about anything but staying young and having fun, but when you really got to know him, you could tell that that wasn't the case at all. All in all, he was like the big brother I always wanted but never got the opportunity to have.

Rosalie and I got along well, too, though I didn't see us being as close as Emmett and I were slowly becoming. We didn't really have anything in common.

"Panic! At the Disco," I told him. "They're no Fall Out Boy, but I like them a lot."

He nodded and went to say something, but he was cut off by Jasper's snort and comment, "Why people continue to talk about them like they're ever coming back is beyond me. It's been three years, obviously they're not."

I gasped, offended that he would say something like that. "If we're going to be friends, you will never speak like that again!"

"You are...offended." He looked surprised.

"Another thing, I don't know what everyone _else_ is used to, but _I'm_ not used to having someone call out my every emotion. You can't do that, either," I said seriously. If he kept it up, I didn't know how our friendship was going to last. "But yes, I am offended. How dare you speak such...such..."

"Truths?"

"Lies!"

He chuckled. "You're not serious, are you? Oh, God, you're one of those crazy, die-hard fans."

"Who is this boy, and why did he fall out?" Rosalie asked, face screwed in a peculiar way, clearly confused.

I threw my head back and laughed. "Careful there, Rosalie, your age is showing. It's not 'Fall out, boy,' it's Fall Out Boy. That's the name of one of my all time favorite bands, and if Jasper continues to say they are never coming back, I will scream."

"I'll be happy to call that bluff."

"Do you have their music? Can we listen to it?" Rosalie asked, genuinely interested.

I smiled. "Of course I have their music, and I would love nothing more than to introduce you to it. If you don't love them by the time we've gone through every album, I will be pissed because I am one of those crazy, die-hard fans."

**~HTH~**

"_I'm the invisible man, who can't stop staring at the mirror, at the mirror. I want to make you feel lonely as me,_" admitted Emmett to himself in the mirror.

Rosalie joined in next with, "_So you can get, get addicted to this. You can get, get addicted to this._"

"_Oh, oh, oh-oh...| I'm the invisible man,_" I finished.

I'd definitely won them over.

"I wish I'd known them sooner, so I could have gone to one of their concerts," Rosalie said, looking over their lyrics in the album booklet. "I bet they would've been amazing."

I grinned. "No doubt. When they come back, we'll go."

"Don't hold your breath, Isabella. I'd hate to see you die over something like that," Jasper replied.

I scowled. "When it _does_ happen, you're going to owe me _big_ time."

"I'd give you anything you wanted, even if I don't want it, if I'm wrong. Fortunately, I'm not, so I don't have to worry about you exacting your revenge on me," he said. "But fine, you have yourself a deal."

Before I could say anything more on the subject, Peter and Charlotte were in my room, grinning way too big. I gagged, knowing immediately why they looked that way.

"That's disgusting!" I complained.

Charlotte smirked. "It's wonderful."

"It is so wrong," I countered.

She chuckled. "It's natural."

"With so many people in the house, though? With so many people in the house who can hear _ever-y-thing_?" I questioned.

It was Peter's turn to smirk as he replied, "When the good mood hits ya, you don't deny it, sweet pea."

"Again, disgusting." I shuddered at the thought. Sometimes, I hated just how open my parents and I were with each other. "Anyway, I know why you're here. Give us the verdict, father."

Peter's grin got impossibly bigger. "Jasper, my dude, I have a feeling that your making this deal won't end too well for you."

"And Yoda has spoken." I snickered.

The others laughed, but Jasper rolled his eyes, still unconvinced, and said, "We'll see."

.

.

.

.

Eventually, we got everything finished. My parents had everything in their room set up to their liking, and so did I. With the help of all of them, I'd not only gotten my room painted, new bed and desk set up, but I'd also gotten my walls back to how I had them before the move: my posters, magazine covers and pictures, photos I'd taken over the years, and old band-tees were all taped and pinned onto my wall. It was my favorite part of the room.

"Why are these things on your wall so important to you?" Jasper asked, coming to stand beside me in the middle of the room, where I could easily look over everything we'd done.

I looked up at him. "What did I say about calling me out on my feelings?"

"I'm not," he assured me, chuckling. "I mean, I can feel them, yes, but that's not why I asked. At least, not the only reason."

I rolled my eyes. "Then what made you ask?"

"Your face did," he answered. Before he continued on, he turned me around to face him, gently grabbed hold of both sides of my face, and he smiled. "First, your nose wrinkled up in the most adorable way, like you weren't sure if you liked the way everything was set up, and then you got this small, serene smile on your face when you came to the conclusion that you did. And I noticed your eyes next. I realized a long time ago that people's eyes only shined that bright when around something they love—something that's _important_. And last but not least, your emotions did play a part in my deducing that your wall decorations meant a great deal to you. They're just...I can't even explain them. I can give them a name, but I can't explain it, I just know that they were there because your decorations mean something to you. There's importance in them or something. Then again, I could just be placing too much meaning into your staring. You could just be thinking abut something."

He was right. It all meant something to me; it was all _important_ to me. The actual things themselves, while I loved them, wasn't what made me feel that way. It was the action itself. After I'd gotten out of recovery for my self-harming, I needed a new, healthier way to "cope" with my feelings. I'd tried countless things, and only two of them stuck: running and collaging. When I really needed to run, which was at night when I felt the most alone, my parents wouldn't let me. Collaging, though, I could do at all hours of the night.

After I'd used up a countless number of journals, scrapbooks and random pieces of paper, I finally took to my walls. Everything that made feel, whether the emotion was positive or not, went up on the wall—one big mess of emotions.

It was my art.

It was my peace.

It was...my everything.

"Well, you're not Sherlock Holmes, but that was some very good deducing, I must admit," I finally answered, grinning. "Unfortunately for you, the 'why' is a secret."

He laughed. "I'll take that"

"Like you had any other choice but to," I replied. "Anyway, thanks again for helping out."

"Again, you're welcome," he said.

We stood in silence for a while, kind of just staring at each other. I was sure it would have seemed weird to anyone that walked in on us, they way were just smiling at each other like two idiots.

I cleared my throat. "Um, we should probably head downstairs now. I'm sure Emmett is tired of waiting."

"Damn right I am!" Emmett yelled up to us.

Jasper and I laughed.

"Yeah, I guess we should," he agreed.

"Okay."

"Okay."

We took another moment to just stare at each other, but it didn't last as long as before. Eventually, we made our way downstairs, where everyone else was sitting around in the living room.

"I'm sure Bella won't mind, though, so just give us a date, and we'll be there," Peter said into his phone, nodding slowly as he talked. He laughed suddenly. "Yes, ma'am, I will. Bye."

When he hung up, I asked, "Who was that, and what won't I mind?"

"Carlisle. He and Esme want to have this family-type thing or whatever. I told them I didn't think you'd mind. They want to do a road trip or something, visit some amusement park somewhere," he explained. "They'll give us a where and a when later this week if we decide to do it."

I nodded. "Sounds like fun. I'm down."

"They'll be really happy to hear that," Rosalie said, smiling. She took Emmett's hand and stood up from the couch they were on, pulling him up with her. "Even though all we did was fix up the house, today was really fun. I'm definitely going to look more into Fall Out Boy, too."

"Good! That's great," I told her, grinning.

Charlotte groaned. "Ugh, if I have to deal with more Fall OUt Boy fanatics, I'm going to die."

Rosalie laughed. "Have you..."

"Not that I don't like sitting around and talking and stuff, but I'm ready to go. I'm hungry," Emmett complained with a groan of his own. "So. _Hungry_."

"All right, let me get the angry bear fed," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. "It was nice seeing you again, Bella. I really did have fun today."

I smiled. "Me too! I'll walk you guys out."

They nodded, and the four of us headed out.

.

.

.

.

"I put Alice's arms back on after you left," Jasper told me, leaning against the driver's side of his car.

I waited for Emmett and Rosalie to get into the car before answering, just wanting the illusion of privacy.

"I see. Why?"

"Because I felt I had to. I don't want you to think of me as some hothead that does things without thinking," he said. "That's not who I am."

I nodded. "Okay. Why'd you take them in the first place?"

"That news I found out recently? Yeah, she didn't take it too well, and she got too out of control for my liking, so I did something about it."

Like I explained to Peter and Charlotte the day before, it wasn't the fact that he did it that upset it me, it was the way he said it and the reason he gave. It did make him seem like a hothead who didn't use his brain, and I didn't like that.

"What was the news?" I asked.

"I can't tell you that," he answered.

"Why?"

"It's..."

"Complicated," we finished at the same time.

I scowled, and he gave me a sheepish smile, saying, "Yeah. One day, I'll tell you about it."

"I'll hold you to do that," I promised, meaning it.

"Good. Look, Isabella..." he started, but I didn't let him finish.

He'd been calling me that all day, and I hadn't said anything. It wasn't that I didn't notice it, because I did, but it...I didn't know what it was. Coming from him, it just sounded right, but I still didn't like it.

"Jasper, if we're going to be friends..."

He cut me off with a loud laugh and a shake of his head. "You know, you have got a lot of rules when it comes to being your friend. Why is that?"

"For reasons I'd rather not get into," I answered. "Anyway, if we're going to be friends, you can't call me that. Isabella."

He looked confused, his head slightly tilting to the side as he thought over what I'd said. "You don't want me to call you by your name? I can't call you Isabella?"

"_No_."

He raised his hands up to his chest, as if surrendering. "Whoa, where did _that_ come from?"

"What?"

"That bite in your tone. I'm sure that if you could have just now, you would've taken my fucking head off," he said.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off that way. Just don't call me that again, okay? You can call me anything you want _but_ that and stupid. I _don't_ like it, so don't _do it_."

"Okay, but can you..."

"No! Just don't do it," I snapped.

He watched me for a while, clearly deep in thought, and my heart started racing. Memories associated with that name were assaulting me, and my breathing was starting to pick up. I was nervous, and I was scared. I didn't want to have to tell him why.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to tell me anything, all right?" he said, touching the side of my face much like he'd done earlier in my room. "Just breathe."

I nodded and took a deep breath, feeling a wave of calm wash over me slowly. Looking behind him, I spotted a concerned Peter and Charlotte, but I ignored them and looked back toward Jasper.

"I'm sorry. It's just..."

"Complicated?" he offered, smiling.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"So, Bella it is."

"Okay."

As he opened the door to the driver's seat, he opened and closed his mouth a few times in hesitation before asking, "What's in your name that's so bad?"

"Everything."


	9. Chapter 9: The Edward Files, pt 1

**Highway to Hell**

_Chapter 9: The Edward Files, pt. 1_

* * *

The drama that had been the first week was officially over, which meant the drama of the new week could begin. Throughout the next few weeks, I'd gotten to know each member of the Cullen coven, and, aside from two, I was already close with all of them. Alice just couldn't get over her jealousy, and it only grew more as Jasper and I got closer. It wasn't like I was the reason for their breakup, so why she was taking it out on my, I didn't know. Edward and I weren't close because I just didn't like him. He'd tried multiple times to talk to me, but I shut him down every time. I was sure he was a nice guy, but the way he would look at me didn't sit too well with me. And the way he talked to me, I especially hated, and I told Angela as much.

"He talks to me as if I should feel _honored_ that he's speaking to me," I explained. I took a break from my complaining for a few minutes to get my lunch before continuing, "Like I should feel proud that _Edward Cullen_ is speaking to a little peasant like me."

She laughed. "Are you serious?"

"I have never been more serious in my life," I said, handing the lunch lady my money and waiting for her to do the same. "And that's why I laugh whenever I overhear girls talking about him! It's, like, they have _no_ idea. All they see is a really pretty face. I can guarantee that if they had the chance to get to know him, they wouldn't want anyone based just off their looks _ever_ again."

"Well, seeing as how you're the only peasant Edward will _ever_ speak to, I think we shoulet just let them keep this little fantasy of theirs that he's the most perfect man," Angela said.

Once she paid for her lunch, we began to make our way to an empty table. After she'd caught Jessica Frenching the boy, Ben, she'd liked since grade school, she had decided she'd had enough with dumb and dumber. I alternated between sitting with her and the Cullen's. While I was no extremely close with them, I wasn't just going abandon Angela for them. Not that I thought it would matter too much to her, though, since she had her Drama Club friends.

When we sat down, it was her turn to do her complaining. We did this once a week, and it was becoming something I looked forward to.

"I've known for a long time that Ben and I weren't going to happen, but it still pissed me off that she did that. Had I gone and done that with Mike, she would've had my head! I'm not upset about it anymore, but I am just so done with her...her..."

I offered, "Bullshit?"

"Yes. That!" she exclaimed, nodding. "That's what it is. And Lauren is just a b-word, so I'm done with her, too. I realize there's only so much of them a person can take, so how up with them all these years is a mystery to me."

I laughed quietly, and she continued to rant about the things they'd done that week that irked her. I listened and spoke when it was needed, but for the most part, I was trying not to laugh. I couldn't help it. She was a good girl through and through—a preacher's child—and hearing her upset with people was comical. The girl didn't have a mean bone in her body.

Eventually, she ran out of things to say, and we ate our food in silence. That was one of the reasons why I liked Angela so much. We didn't have to talk to enjoy each other's company. She had this way of instantly putting you at ease, making you want to be around her, which meant there wasn't a need to force a conversation—just being around her was enough.

"Don't look now, but King Edward and his loyal servants have just entered the cafeteria," Angela said in a mock whisper, leaning in a bit closer to me. "You didn't tell me he'd be gracing us peasants with an appearance today."

I laughed and playfully pushed at her shoulder. "Oh, shut up."

She laughed with me, and I turned to look for them, soon spotting them in the lunch line. Going to get food everyday and then not eating it didn't help them blend in at all, so I didn't understand why they continued to do it.

"They're coming!" she said as if I weren't watching them, actually sounding a bit surprised.

I turned to face her and squealed in mock-excitement. "Omg! How's my makeup?"

"I'm sure it would look _perfect_ if you were wearing any!" she told me, chuckling. "On a serious note, though: Alice is coming over here, too. What are you going to do?" Angela asked, sounding worried.

Aside from not telling her the obvious, I hadn't left out anything when I explained to her the beef that was between Alice and I. I told her of our "fight," too, so I could see why she was worried.

"I'm going to act civilized, but if I have to, I will defend myself," I said seriously, but I wasn't too concerned. She may have had it out for me, but she wasn't stupid enough to bring any more attention to them.

When the Cullen Clan finally made their way over to us, they sat down at the table with us, Alice having to pull up an extra chair.

"Hey, Bella," they said together, nodding their heads in greeting. "Angela."

I smiled but was once again trying hard to keep myself from laughing. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Angela shoot me a look, obviously not used to seeing people so perfectly in sync.

"Hi," she replied, giving them a small smile.

"What brings you all over here today?" I asked, suspicious of their actions. They'd never wanted anything to do with me when I was with Angela, so I was sure they were up to something.

Emmett shrugged and answered, "Nothing important, really. We were all just talking and realized it was a bit ridiculous the way we don't eat lunch together, you know? Bella, we're friends with you, and you're friends with Angela. We all just thought it'd be cool to merge."

Alice's snort and Edward's quiet scoff let it be know that not everyone agreed with this merger.

"If that's okay with you, of course, Angela," Jasper added, a kind smile playing on his lips. "We don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything."

I looked to Angela, and she looked visibly surprised and a tad bit uncomfortable, but she only shrugged.

"Um, this is definitely a change, but not one I'm opposed to," she said finally, smiling back at Jasper. He grinned in return, and she blushed, looking back toward her food with a quiet giggle. "So..."

My eyes narrowed slightly. Maybe I was reading in between imaginary lines. She was probably just nervous from suddenly being around them, but that didn't make me feel any less jealous.

_No one is ever **that** happy for cafeteria food,_ I thought, now convinced that she had just moved on from Ben to Jasper.

Jasper gave me a funny look, and I glared at him. He was still calling me out on my feelings every now and then, and it was seriously getting irritating to the point where I wanted to drop our friendship entirely sometimes.

_If I could stop feeling around him, this wouldn't happen,_ I thought. _That's practically impossible, though. I can't help but feel around him_.

"Bella, is everything all right?" Rosalie asked, pulling me from my head.

I nodded. "Just peachy."

I was eyed for a while, but then Emmett mentioned something about the upcoming dance, and that took everyone's attention off me.

At least, everyone's attention that I wouldn't mind having on me. Edward's eyes stayed locked on mine.

He smiled. "Are you still falling behind in biology?"

"I am..."

His smile grew. "Good. I mean, it's not good that you're failing because that's bad, but...I'm just trying to offer my help. I'd be happy to help you out. If you want it, I mean. Biology is a favorite subject of mine, I like to help other people learn it..."

"Okay," I said, returning his smile.

Edward was...flustered, a little nervous even. I hadn't thought that was possible for someone as annoyingly cocky as him. For any vampire, really. I liked that I could do that to him. Not only that, but I knew I had to give him a chance. True, he talked _very_ highly of himself and had an air of superiority around him, but so did Rosalie. What made them any different?

Also, I couldn't not talk to him because he gave me a few weird looks. That wasn't really fair on him.

I wouldn't let my paranoia get the best of me and ruin what could be a good friendship before it even started.

_Not everyone's out to hurt you, Bella,_ I remembered one of my counselor's telling me a couple years back.

"I'd like to not fail," I told him.

Edward chuckled and nodded in understanding. "Okay. Just give me a day, and I'll come to you after school."

"I will."

When that was done, I joined in on the multiple conversations that were going on around me, everyone seemingly oblivious to what Edward and I had just discussed. I knew that wasn't the case, though, with the way the vampires at the table were looking at us.

Rosalie looked surprised, Emmett was _obviously_ upset, Alice was glaring at me and Jasper's face was a cold, emotionless mask, his lips set in a hard line.

It was my turn to give a funny look, utterly confused. "What?"

"Huh?" Angela said, stopping whatever she was saying to Rosalie to give me her own look of surprise.

"Nothing," I mumbled. "Continue what you were saying."

The second I'd gotten out "what," their faces were back to normal, and I was starting to think I had imagined the whole thing.

_._

_._

_._

_._

"All right, so an atom is...?" Edward asked, smirking at me.

By time school ended, I had made up my mind that I wanted to start my tutoring with Edward the same day. I really did need to get my biology grade up, and it made for a great opportunity to grin finally get to know the guy.

With permission from Peter and Charlotte, I left school with the Cullen's and headed over to their house. I'd gotten placed in a car with Edward, Rosalie and Jasper, and to say things were awkward would probably be an understatement. The latter had been acting weird toward me since lunch, and they, apparently, didn't feel the need to tell me why. Emmett, too.

Eventually, I decided I didn't care, so I began to ignore them, hence the awkward ride.

"Um...a particle with lots of protons in it?" I answered, though it came out more as a question. When he laughed hysterically, I knew Always wrong. Again. I groaned loudly. "Cut me some slack. We've been at this for two hours."

He chuckled. "Which is why I was sure you'd know _something_. It's just a particle with no know substructure."

"Oh, give the poor girl a break, Edward. I'm sure her brain is fried enough," joked Esme as she walked into the living room where we were, a cookie sheet in hand. "I come bearing food for the human."

I grinned and jumped up, famished. She handed over the cookie sheet to me, which was still slightly warm to the touch, and my stomach growled loudly as I looked it over, my mouth watering. Not only had she made me the most delicious smelling cookies ever, but she also made me brownies.

"You're too good to me, Esme, truly," I mumbled as I sat back down in my spot at the coffee table across from Edward, utterly awed by the food. I hadn't good homemade food like that in, well, ever.

Both Esme and Edward laughed.

"I hope they taste as good as they smell," she said.

To find out, I took a bite of both a cookie and a brownie, groaning loudly as the flavor met my taste buds. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back, taking more bites of the snacks. "Ugh, it's _so good._"

"I'm glad. I haven't cooked in a very long time," she replied, chuckling.

"You wouldn't know it," I said, shaking my head. "You wouldn't know it at all. I think I may have to suggest that Charlotte come over here. Everything else she does perfectly well, but if she keeps trying to cook for me, I may die."

"And we can't have you dying," said Edward.

I nodded in agreement, moving on to my third brownie. "No we can't."

"If she wants to learn, I'd be happy to help," Esme said, smiling sweetly. "There are still a few things I need to understand, too."

We talked for a while longer after that, but she soon left, and Edward and I returned to our studying.

An hour or so had passed before we finally decided to call it quits, both of us so unbelievably _bored_ with the subject after a while.

As I was getting ready to leave, the others—save for Esme—littered into the room, but we ignored them.

"Are you _positive_ you don't want to stay? We could hang out and do something other than study," Edward said, another one of his attempts to get me to stay.

I'd been wrong about Edward. He wasn't the bad guy I thought him to be. Yes, he was weird, said things that would raise eyebrows sometimes, and he gave me funny looks every now and then, but he wasn't a bad guy. He was nice, funny and seemed to care about me a great deal.

I laughed. "I'd love to, but..."

"She feels she has to go home, Edward. Don't try to keep her any longer than is absolutely necessary," Alice said with a little sneer.

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, I have seriously had it up to fucking here with you and your..."

"Language!" Esme chided, much like Charlotte on that front. "Alice, we have all had enough, I think."

Alice huffed, and I sighed, having to work hard on _not_ rolling my eyes at her, too. "Whatever. I have to go, so E..."

"I'll take you home," Rosalie said before I could finish what I was saying. "Just let me grab my keys, and we can go."

Before she left to fetch her keys, she gave me a smile, but I didn't return it. I didn't what was going on with her—with _any_ of them—but I was starting to get irritated.

"See you tomorrow, Bella," Emmett murmured.

"See you, Emm. Edward," I said, nodding in acknowledgement.

He smiled. "Bye, Bella."

Rosalie came back, then, and I gathered up all my stuff, bagging the little desserts Esme made me. She'd made so many that I would probably have enough to last me the rest of the week.

As we were walking out, we had to walk past Jasper, and I stopped in front of him. I didn't want to leave on a bad note with him, though why we were on a bad note in the first place, I didn't know.

I gave him a big smile, completely genuine in it, and said, "Bye, Jasper."

"Oh, you're talking to me now?" was his response, his face set in the same mask he'd worn earlier that day at lunch, clearly calling me out on my ignoring them.

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, taken aback by the cold shoulder he'd just thrown my way. His reason for behaving that way was lost on me. I couldn't recall doing or saying anything to him that would piss him off.

"No. No I'm not, actually," I replied. If he was going to continue to act like I'd killed his puppy without having a reason to and not tell me, I was going to be done with him. "Bye, everybody. I'll see you around."

.

.

.

.

"You'll have to forgive Jasper," Rosalie said after we'd been driving for a while, which I suspected she waited to say until we were out of earshot to the others. "He's just...trying to deal right now."

I scoffed. If she thought Jasper could get away with his shit attitude because he was just "trying to deal," then she couldn't have been more wrong. It had been three weeks already; Jasper couldn't use the whole "I just got some unexpected news" excuse anymore. Neither could any of his family members to excuse his behavior.

"Contrary to what you seem to believe, I don't _have_ to do anything. I especially don't have to forgive Jasper, _especially_ if he can't even apologize himself," I said, rolling my eyes. "Is this why you wanted to drive me home? To tell me I had to forgive your brother?"

She pulled into my driveway and shut the car off, turning in her seat to look at me. "No, I wanted to tell you to keep away from Edward."

My eyes widened in surprise at her words, and I almost asked her "why," but laughed instead, moving to get out the car. "This is stupid, I'm going inside now. Thanks for the ride."

"Bella, you don't know what he's like. He isn't good for you."

I raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, don't you think that decision should be left to me? I would this so."

"Yes," she said, nodding in agreement. "It is. I'm only looking out for you. Edward is...different. He won't know how to be with someone like you."

"What is the point of this, Rosalie?" I asked with a sigh, not really sure I wanted to know.

Her eyes bore into mine, and I could tell they were pleading with me to understand something she couldn't say. "Just don't fall for him, Bella. There are other men out there who could love you so much better than Edward ever could."

"Haha, whoa." I hopped out of the car in surprise, grabbing my stuff on the way out. "Holy shit, Rosalie. Where did that even come from? I'be never even paid attention to the guy until today. Besides that, love and boys are the last thing on my mind. The two aren't even a blimp on my radar. Thanks for the warning or whatever, though."

She went to say something else, but I didn't stay to listen. Instead, I gave her another thank you and a goodbye before slamming the door shut and quickly heading into the house, locking the door behind me for good measure.

"Mom? Dad? Are you guys here?" I yelled out as I made my way to the kitchen. I hadn't seen the car in the driveway, so I was expecting to see a note on the fridge saying they'd went out.

"I'm here!" Charlotte called back to me. Her purposely loud footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs before she appeared in the kitchen beside me, smiling. "What's up?"

I shook my head. "I was just seeing if someone was here. The car's gone."

"Yeah. Dad drove up to Seattle," she explained.

I frowned. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. He just wanted to go for a drive, I guess," she said, shrugging.

She was lying. I could tell by the crinkle in her nose and how she refused to make eye contact with me. She'd always been a bad lier. I would have questioned her on this, but I wanted to discuss something else.

"Rosalie thinks I'm going to fall in love with Edward," I told her. "She drove me home to warn me off him."

Charlotte snorted. "I heard. I don't know _what_ that was."

I had an idea. It wasn't too far fetched with what she'd said, but I hoped I was just over thinking.

"Do you think she knows?" I asked quietly. Charlotte gave me a look of curious confusion, and I clarified, "She said Edward wouldn't know how to be with someone like me. Do you thinks she knows about..._that_?"

She understood immediately what I was talking about and shook her head. "Oh, sweetheart, no. I don't know what she was going on about, but I can assure you it wasn't that. None of them know what happened."

"Oh." That reassurance made me feel better. "Okay. I think I want it to stay that way."

"That's fine," Charlotte said. "The decision is yours to make."

I nodded, and we moved on to lighter topics. While we talked, I only half paid attention, thinking more of Edward than participating.

I liked him, and I was glad I'd given him a chance.

So why did I suddenly feel like I would soon regret this decision?


	10. Chapter 10: The Edward Files, pt 2

**Highway to Hell**

A|N: I have honestly never been more pissed in my life. I had this chapter written out, and I loved it—it was one of my favorites—and then I lost it. Somehow, it got deleted from my doc sharing and now we have this half-assed, "I'm too upset to really try and can't remember anything I wrote before" chapter. It isn't at all how I planned it out the first time.

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or the Saga, everything belongs with Stephanie Mayer.**

_Chapter 10:The Edward Files, pt 2_

* * *

As the weeks went by, Edward and I started hanging out more often—practically everyday. Now, I wouldn't call him my best friend, but I would admit that we had gotten extremely close for such a short period of time.

Angela was especially surprised at the sudden turn of events. She couldn't understand how I went from complaining about him to "constantly wanting to be around him." I explained to her that I'd misjudged him dearly; he was a good guy, and I would give him a chance. When he first started sitting with us at lunch, I knew right off the bat that she was utterly uncomfortable with his presence. I offered to have him leave us alone when we were together, but she hadn't taken it for reasons only known to her—and most likely Edward with him being a mind reader and all—and now they were...acquainted. Just like I would never call Edward my best friend, she would never call him a friend, though he swore they were getting close. She was just making an effort to accept him since he was my friend.

However, the same couldn't be said for the others. The closer Edward and I got, the angrier they seemed to get. At least, Rosalie and Alice were angry, a hint of jealousy from the latter, too. Emmett just looked all kinds of disappointed all the time, while Jasper refused to show any emotion at all. It was annoying, and I was starting to not even care that we were slowly losing our friendship. If no one else had a problem with him—with _us_—why did they?

At least, I'd been convinced no one else had a problem with him until Angela had come to me at what we now called our table in the cafeteria, letting out a little huff.

"I'm sorry," she said, lightly slamming her lunch tray on the table. "But I can't with him anymore."

I stilled my hand and looked up from my math homework, frowning in confusion. She looked irritated _and_ pissed, the latter being something I'd never seen her be.

"What's wrong? You can't with who?" I asked.

She glared at me and sat down, pushing her food away from her. "Don't act like you don't know who I'm talking about, Bella."

"...Edward." I sighed heavily, leaning forward slightly. I'd have been lying if I said i didn't see this coming. "What did he do?"

"What _didn't_ he do?" Angela questioned, rolling her eyes. "I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Edward and I are in two classes together." I nodded, knowing that, and she continued, "Well, in both of those classes, we have just become partners. I was okay with it until he flat out said I wasn't smart enough to be his partner and asked if he could just work alone."

I gaped at her, eyes widening at that. "I'm sure he didnt..."

"Oh no, he did," she snapped, clearly frustrated. I assumed most of it was pointed in my direction. "I know he did because he said some really hurtful things to me after our last class. What hurt the most was how he just completely fucking belittled our friendship. I don't know how you feel, Bella, but I've been under the impression that we were...I don't know, best friends or something."

If I wasn't aware of her anger before, I definitely was then with her slip of the F-bomb.

I nodded at her words. "It's not just you feeling that . You are definitely my best friend—the only one I've ever had—and I am so sorry Edward did this."

I thought he was a good guy, not a saint, so I shouldn't have been surprised he'd been horrible to her. Before the first study session, I'd been feeling the same way, too, basically—belittled.

"Now, I'm not telling you this to ruin your relationship with him or anything, but to let you know that I can't deal with him anymore. I'm done. I'm sorry, but..."

I shook my head, not needing to hear anything else. I could feel myself growing angrier and angrier as the seconds ticked by. Who the hell was he to talk to _my_ friend that way?

"You have nothing to be sorry for. _Nothing_. If there's anything I hate, it's people fucking with my friends," I explained. "Especially if it's one friend to another."

Had the Cullen's not been gone on their monthly "camping trip," which was obviously just a cover for their extended hunting trips, I would've pulled him aside right then and there and promptly try to kick his ass.

I'd given him the benefit of the doubt. Up until the current point, I'd been _firmly_ in his corner, defending him when his siblings had more bad things to say about him. I was his friend, and he goes and shit talks my _best_ friend?

More importantly, had he been expecting Angela to _not_ tell me?

My anger only intensified when Angela began to tell me exactly what he had said and done, though albeit reluctantly and only because I'd asked.

.

.

.

.

_Anonymous POV_

"I'm surprised you managed to find time to sneak away," said the handsome boy, smirking. "You've been on a pretty tight leash lately."

I shrugged. "Just a small price to pay, I suppose. Crappy leashes can't keep beasts contained for long."

He chuckled, pulling out a box of cigarettes from his back pocket and tossing them to me. "Don't I know it."

I pulled a lighter and lit a cigarette, closing my eyes and sighing in relief as I took my first drag, slowly exhaling. It couldn't do for me what it did to people, but it still managed to bring me peace.

"Why'd you call this emergency meeting, anyway?" he asked after a while, figuring he'd given me enough time to enjoy my smoke before getting to business.

"Because I am officially running out of time," I whispered, taking another drag, longer this time.

He noticed. "You're stressed. What's wrong?"

Everything was wrong. I was being watched constantly now. I could barely ever get out of the house. I think she was starting to figure out what I was up to. At the rate I was going, I was going to lose.

If I wasn't so fond of the game, I'd quite while winning was still a guarantee.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," I said.

He rolled his eyes. "You know I can't _not_ worry."

I knew that. I knew exactly how he felt because _I_ felt it.

"Anyway, I need to know that you're going to be there for me until the end. There can't be any half-assing it now. The stakes are high. I'd lose everything if I didn't come out on top," I said seriously.

He nodded, looking both determined and extremely sad. "Anything you need."

"Good. When we have more time together, we'll come up with a plan," I told him, and he only just nodded.

We stood around in silence for a while. I smoked, and he stared at me. I knew what he wanted, knew what he was asking of me, but I didn't want to give in.

I couldn't.

But I did.

With an irritated sigh, I flicked my smoke away. He grinned, stepped on it until it went out, and appeared in front of me within seconds, taking my face in his hands and roughly pulling me in for a kiss.

I grabbed onto his hips and pulled him closer in to me, and he let out a whimper that went straight to my cock.

Crunching leaves from behind me could be heard just after the kiss was starting to get good, and he was gone just as soon as the sound reached our ears.

"Did I hear you talking to someone just now?" she asked as she stepped up behind me. I could hear the smirk in her voice as she continued, "Or am I just catching your crazy?"

I turned around to face her, returned her smirk, and replied, "Have you forgotten that you were contagious first?"

"Mm, touché." She grinned.

I laughed, and without another moment of hesitation, I pulled her in for a kiss. To my surprise, she roughly kissed back instead of ignoring me like I had thought she would. She'd been avoiding me. Whether she had just been playing hard to get or was truly considering leaving me, I didn't know.

"You taste...not like yourself," she said in between heavy pants, trying to catch the breath she didn't need.

I quirked a brow and asked, "Is this good or bad?"

"You tell me." She pulled away from me slightly, looking me in the eye. Her face was set in a mask of unnerving seriousness, but I could see the desperate longing and envy in her eyes. It was coming off her in waves. "Are you hiding something serious from me, M?"

I couldn't stop the rise of the corner of my lips even if I'd wanted to. She hadn't called me that in such a long time, the name sounded foreign to my ears.

I knew I had her. I'd _always_ have her.

"I'd never hide anything from you," I lied. "And you have nothing to worry about. I love _you_."

She pressed her lips against mine—hard—and not much more talking was done after that, the both of us wanting to finish what we'd started when our lips had first touched.

Even as she dropped onto her knees in front of me and slowly pulled down the zipper on my jeans, I could hardly focus on what was taking place. My mind, though completely capable of thinking of 100 things or more at once, was stuck on one thing and one thing only: Isabella Swan. She was my everything. My reason for breathing, my reason for killing—my reason for loving.

However, if I was to be honest with myself, I'd admit it wasn't just her that kept my mind away from the task at hand.

It was _him_. I knew he was watching. He knew that I knew that he was watching me, and we both knew that I was royally screwing things—pun unintended.

.

.

.

.

Bella's POV

"How dare you go around treating my best friend like shit and then have the audacity to behave as if you don't know what I'm talking about!" I snapped, a quiet growl in my voice as I spoke.

_Hang around deadly creatures long enough, and you'll start thinking you're one of them,_ I thought to myself.

"Bella, wow. I...I am honestly so shocked that you'd accuse me of such a thing. That _Angela_ would!" Edward exclaimed, astonished.

The minute I'd found out the Cullen's were back from their trip, I asked Peter to drive me over to them. I'd told them both him and Charlotte about what had happened, what Edward had done, so he was more than happy to drive me over to see him. It was understood that Edward needed to know where I stood with him and how he treated my friend.

His denial—his flat out _lying_—about the situation was so infuriating and annoying that I finally just gave up.

I was so far beyond done with Edward Cullen, and I told him as much.

"You know what, Edward? I've had it with you. I can see now that this whole 'friendship' was nothing but fabricated bullshit," I said. "I knew right off the bat that you were a bad guy, and I should have trusted that feeling. I won't ever be making that mistake again."

"Bella..." he mumbled.

I saw him take the two steps toward me, but that was all I'd been able to see before everyone became a blur to me, moving at a speed that was incapable of being detected by the untrained human eye. Still, their movements made me dizzy, and when they'd stopped, I had to take a seat on the couch, feeling a bit light-headed.

"Are you okay?" Carlisle asked, the back of his cool, pale hand pressed gently against my forehead. "Do you need anything?"

I leaned into his hand in thanks, the coolness from it helping tremendously, and shook my head. "No, I'm fine. Just got a bit dizzy, is all."

He gave me one last look before nodding and standing up, gently pulling me with him. When I finally re-focused on everyone else, I wasn't too surprised by what had happened. I guessed that Peter drew the line at Edward coming near me, so when he took those steps toward me, Peter didn't like that, which would explain why he had Edward tightly by the neck against the wall.

Esme and Alice looked horrified. Emmett and Rosalie were shaking with silent laughter like the obnoxious jerks I was starting to see them as, while Jasper was, once again, being as indifferent as was possible.

I couldn't hear what was being said, but I could hear the quiet buzzing that came when the vampires talked amongst themselves, so I knew some kind of conversation was going on between my dad and Edward. The growls that were coming from them, mostly from Peter, were also a good indicator that something was being said. Knowing Peter, he was saying even more in his head.

Carlisle sighed. "Peter, can you please release my son? I know what he's done, and I can assure you it will be dealt with."

Before backing off, Peter squeezed his neck until an audible crack could be heard and then said something else.

"I apologize, Bella, for what I did," Edward mumbled after Dad moved away from him, holding onto his neck and wincing. If he was looking for sympathy, he wasn't getting it from me. "I was only looking out for you."

"How?" came an exasperated question from several people in the room that didn't include me.

I scowled at them, but there was no point. Wanting privacy in a house full of vampires was a stupid wish.

Edward ignored them, looking me square in the eye when he answered, "Seeing as how we are extremely close friends, I thought it was my duty to keep bad influences away from you."

I think everyone gaped at him for that answer. I knew I did.

"I know you're shocked at that answer," he continued, "but it's true. You don't know the vile things that go on in that girl's head. She..."

The more he talked, the more I tuned him out. I just couldn't take it anymore—from any of them. The way the Cullen kids were trying to make my decisions for me, control who I became friends with, bothered me immensely. I liked them, but it was ridiculous how, for lack of a better word, possessive they were being of me.

"Dad, I think I've heard enough," I said abruptly, cutting off whatever it was Edward was rambling on about. "I'm ready to go and be done with this."

Peter snorted. "I'm right there with you. Carlisle, I respect you, but I can't tolerate people's bullshit for long. Whether Bella is involved or not, Edward steps to me again with the shit he was spouting just seconds ago, it's his head."

With that, Peter and I walked out, Esme's shouts of "violence is never the answer" behind us as we went. Right before I got in the car, a loud crash could be heard from inside followed by a number of growls before suddenly cutting off.

I looked at Peter, and he shrugged. "Don't know, don't really care. Get in the car."

**~HTH~**

The ride home felt longer than usual. The atmosphere was tense. Peter was obviously pissed. He was glaring, and his mouth was set in a hard line, while his hand held on to the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white—something I wasn't aware could happen to a vampire. What really gave him away, though, was the way he held on to his hair tightly. It was a habit we'd picked up from each other.

"I'm surprised the steering wheel made it home in one pice," I said when he turned in to the driveway. "I was sure you were going to break it."

Peter didn't say anything. Instead, he shut off the car and went to get out. My hand shot out quickly to grab hold of his arm before he could, though, and I tugged on his sleeve until he relented and sat back down. I was happy he did that, but he was refusing to look at me, so I wouldn't call it a victory just yet.

"Dad," I said.

He didn't answer.

I sighed. "Daddy?"

Again, he didn't answer.

"I won't let you leave until you _look_ at me and then _listen_ to me," I snapped.

Peter turned his head to look at me, then, eyes narrowed, and I jumped slightly, caught off guard by how...scarily _hurt_ he looked. I'd seen him pissed off before, I'd seen him turn into the man he didn't even like think about anymore from the wars, and he definitely was now, but I'd never seen him look so heartbroken.

I wanted to cry _for_ him.

"You're not going to _let_ me leave?" he repeated in disbelief.

I ignored his unsubtle attempt at deflection."Whatever he said, I'm sure it isn't true. Even if it is, I know he doesn't have the full story," I murmured, leaning over the arm rest and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "He's an ass. Don't let him get to you, dad." I took both sides of his face in my hands and held his head to look me dead in the eye. "You're a good dad, your a good mate, _and_ you're a good man—Edward doesn't know enough to make you feel any less. The next time he gives you shit, you give it to him harder."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Did you purposefully make that dirty, or...? I don't swing that way, sugar."

"Will you stop? I'm trying to be serious here," I snapped, glaring. "What did he say?"

He opened the car door and stepped out before I could stop him. "Drop it."

I hurried after him, tripping out of the car, and said, "I can't drop it! Just tell me. I want to know what hurt you so bad..."

I stopped talking as I caught up with Peter at the kitchen entrance, eyes widening and mouth dropping open.

"Again, Char, what the hell are you doing?" asked Peter, looking as confused as I felt and extremely disgusted. "And why does it smell like that?"

Charlotte turned around from the stove, revealing herself to be covered in flour, and glared at us, though it was mostly directed at him.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she growled. "Bella's birthday is three weeks away. If I want to make her a nice birthday dinner, I need to start practicing now!" she cried, looking distraught. "But nothing I do is going right, and every time I taste it, it just gets worse and worse—not that I'm ever expecting it to be good—and I won't be able to do this!"

I frowned and walked over to her, rubbing her back soothingly. "Oh, mom. You don't have to do that. Even if you knew _how_ to cool, you wouldn't have to. My birthday's are already so special, and you always do so much for me. I don't _need_ a big, fancy dinner."

"I know you don't need it, but it's something I imagine you've always wanted. You know, a 'normal' family night. A 'normal' birthday dinner with your 'normal' parents. A..."

She stopped at the look I gave her, which no doubt conveyed how completely ridiculous I thought she was being in that moment.

"'Normal' has _never_ been a word in our vocabulary, not our life, and definitely _not_ something I've _ever_ wanted, so please stop thinking that," I said. "And yeah, I would like you to know how to cook. I do have to eat what you make me, so it actually being good would be nice," I teased. "But I don't need or want normalcy or anything."

Charlotte sighed. "Bella, you may not want it, but I do. For a night. For the birthday."

"But...it's not your birthday." I laughed. "Who said I didn't want my usual cheese pizza and lose gifts?"

"That doesn't matter. I'm doing this, and that's that," she told me, both regaining her confidence and closing the conversation. "Now be grateful."

I chuckled. "Yes, ma'am. I can't wait."

"Neither can I. Can you do this later?" Peter asked, his bad mood seeming to have worsened.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I can. What's wrong?"

"Later," he mumbled, taking her hand and pulling her out the kitchen.

"I'm not having sex with you until you tell me what's wrong!" was the last thing I heard Charlotte say.

I sighed and, though I didn't want to, began to clean up the mess she'd made, wondering how long Peter was going to be this way—wondering if I'd ever be in the know of what was said to him.


	11. Chapter 11: Envy Is Ignorance,

**Highway to Hell**

A|N: Things start to heat up, the drama unfolds. A certain couple start getting close. Chapter title from Ralph Waldo Emerson. This chapter could be triggering toward the end. Rape is mentioned, and self-harm occurs. Please, if you're easily triggered, skip over it. I know how mind-fucked triggers can leave you.

3.7.2013: I'm convinced that this one is the longest yet. Over 10000 words. Well worth it, I think. Enjoy!

_Chapter 11: Envy is ignorance, didn't you know?_

* * *

Uneasy. Irritable. Impatient—ready for the other shoe to drop.

That was how I'd been feeling after Edward and I "broke up." I was starting to realize that everything I solved one problem, another one appeared before me again. Now that I was done with Edward, it was Alice.

Sure, I'd had problems with the girl from day one, _that_ was nothing new, but I could see it starting to intensify.

She was out to get me. Knowing that made me uneasy. That was reasonable. It wasn't who the person was, but _what_ the person was, that made me wary.

I was irritated because her anger and jealousy—I was pretty sure it was that. She was pretty easy to read. However, I didn't know what she had to be jealous of—was so misplaced. I'd only known her for not even a month, barely interacted with her, and she hated me? Right. Obviously she had issues that needed to be worked on, because I just did not understand where it all came from.

My impatience stemmed from my being exhausted. I only wanted it all to end. I wanted to be left alone. I wanted Alice to move on with her life already.

No, what I really wanted to know was why she felt that way in the first place. I wanted to know, and I would find out.

Beyond those feelings, though, was anger; however, this anger was not because of Alice. Not even Edward.

This anger was directed at the other three Cullen kids, two of whom I'd thought I was getting close to. A kind of closeness that Edward and I never would have reached even if we stayed friends for all of eternity.

I didn't like the way they behaved almost possessively. I didn't like the way they were so quick to abandon me just because I chose thave friend someone they, apparently, didnt like.

This was also the reason why I was sad. I liked them. Why couldn't they accept that I had at one point in time wanted to be friends with their brother like I accepted the fact that they would never like us together?

Honestly, if _this_ wasn't the most stupid reason ever to no longer want to be friends with someone, what was?

_How had I gotten myself involved in such petty drama?_

_How had my life gotten so out of control?_

I knew it wasn't actually "out of control." I was doing pretty well for the most part, but is sure as hell fell like it had.

"You adopted a couple of vampires, and they you. That's how," Peter said quietly from above me.

Apparently, I'd been talking out loud. I paused the movie I was watching and looked up, seeing him starting down at me. I smiled. "You're probably right. What were we thinking?"

"That's the thing, darlin'. I don't think we were," was his mumbled response, the side of his lip curving upward ever so slightly that, had I not been focusing on him so intently, I would have missed it.

He hadn't been the same since the we last went to the Cullen house. He was more quiet and reserved, constantly losing himself in his thoughts. If he wasn't a vampire, I'd have been worried. No. Who was I kidding? I _was_ worried. He was starting to scare me. The number of times I had caught him spaced out, completely still and unaware was beginning to become too much.

What I hated the most about it was that I didn't know why he was behaving this way. Neither he nor Charlotte would tell me what was wrong, so I was always imagining the worse.

"Will you ever stop worrying about me, B?" questioned Peter, frowning. "It's nothing that should concern you."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to face the TV, playing the movie again and effectively ending that conversation. It was rude, I knew, but the "you don't need to worry about it" that I always got was getting annoying. If they weren't going to tell me anything, then fine. I'd let it go.

"When I can come to terms with it myself, I'll tell you about it," he said so quietly that I almost didn't hear it.

Almost.

I allowed a little smile to grace my face, feeling like we were finally getting somewhere.

_._

_._

_._

_._

"Unlike Edward, we actually _were_ only just looking out for you, Bella. You have to believe that," was Rosalie's way of greeting me two days after I'd decided I didn't much care for the Cullen kids anymore.

Instead of answering her with a verbal response, I pointed to a wall behind me, knowing there was a sign in bold letters that read **Quiet in the Library**.

She quietly sighed, pulled up a chair beside, and sat, putting her hands over the book I was reading out of and the notebook I was writing in to block my vision. "You can't stay mad me forever, Bella. You can't ignore me forever, either. We're family. Sooner of later, you'll have to talk to me."

"We're family _how_ exactly?" I asked snidely, looking up from my obscured work to glare at her. "If you're thinking Jasper connects us, you're wrong. I don't identify as being his family, either."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "I meant through Peter. He's as much my brother as he is Jasper's because I love him all the same, but even if neither of them considered each other brothers, I'd still consider you my family."

I raised an eyebrow at that, confused. Sure, we'd gotten along well, but I didn't see us as having anything in common. I honestly didn't see us as anything more than friends, if that, let _alone_ family.

"Emmett. Emmett loves you so much already, that I can't not love you, too. You're his family, therefore mine, but I don't want to get into our family tree right now," she said. "I want..."

Rosalie said more after that, I was sure, but I tuned it all out. I was thinking about what she had said about Emmett. From the moment Emmett and I started talking, I had felt like we had a new edition to the family. He was my big brother: funny, always teasing, and extremely smart when he wanted to be. Though I wasn't talking to him, I had to admit that he was important to me, so it felt nice knowing he felt the same way.

If I was being honest with myself, I'd admit that they were all important to me, even Rosalie who I didn't see as a friend, let alone a family member.

"Do you understand why I'm angry?" I asked, cutting off whatever she was still saying.

She was right, of course. I couldn't ignore her—any of them—forever, and I couldn't stay mad, either. I mean, I could, but staying so mad for so long would be exhausting. Also, how awkward would the reunions be?

I wasn't a very hateful person, either. I didn't hold grudges well, and I didn't want to start now, but, as usual, I would set ground rules. If she thought they were going to be able to lay down their opinion as law and make me go along with it, she was thinking wrong. I was in a forgiving mood, but if she thought I was going to just forgive her without her actually acknowledging what she did wrong first, she was once again thinking wrong.

"Um..." She frowned, tilting her head slightly. "Weren't you listening?"

"Obviously not," I answered. "That was rude on my part, though. I apologize. What were you saying?"

She continued, "I was just saying sorry on behalf of us all for breaking you and Edward up, and..."

"That's not why I'm upset. Not even close, really," I told her, rolling my eyes. "You guys didn't 'break us up.' I called off our friendship because he was an asshole to my best friend, and I didn't like that nor would I tolerate it. And for the record, that was the _least_ sincere apology I've ever heard in my life. You're not serious about it, so why are you saying it?"

She rolled her eyes right back at me. "Fine, I'm not sorry that you and Edward had a falling out. I was only trying to kiss ass, I admit it. I am sorry, though, that you felt you had to stop talking to us. Apparently, I don't know why you did it, but I'm sorry."

She seemed genuinely sorry on that front.

I leaned a bit closer and explained, "I'm upset because of that way you guys handled it. I don't know why you all thought I needed to steer clear of Edward, but you were all so mean about it. I was literally cut off and given silent treatments and looks of disappointment because I chose to associate myself with your brother. Do you have any idea how that feels? It, believe it or not, actually _hurt_ my feelings. On top of that, neither of you even told me _why_! You just said you didn't like him and me together and then left me. What the hell was that even about? Has he done something else?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Rosalie assured me, soothing my sudden worry before it got unnecessarily out of control. "He just...we just didn't think he was the type of person that should be around you. We're not usually like this, but after getting to know you, we knew you were different, and Edward he just..."

I nodded. I understood her feelings toward Edward. There was really no way to paint him in a good light.

"...Neither of us wanted you to get caught up in him," she continued. "Maybe we're too optimistic for our own damn good, but we only saw it ending badly. Which it did." Rosalie sighed. "I'm really sorry for how we went about it, Bella. We shouldn't have done it. It was neithet fair nor mature. I know Jazz and Emmett are, too. They'll be coming to you on their own soon."

After she finished speaking, I remained quiet, accessing her. Usually, I was good at profiling people. I was fast at it, too. One conversation, length of any size, and I knew how they were as a person. It was something Peter taught me to do. This time was no different.

Looking at Rosalie, I knew I'd forgiven her. How could I not? She was so sincere in everything she said, looking every bit like a scolded puppy.

"You're forgiven, but there will be absolutely no more trying to dictate my relationships, all right?" I said firmly, raising an eyebrow, half because I could but mostly because I was sure it made me look a bit more intimidating than I would have without the action.

Rosalie smiled. "Understood."

I made to get back to work, but I quickly found that my want for studying was no longer there since I'd been interrupted, so I closed my books and sat back in my chair, spending the rest of my free period with Rosalie.

"No, I haven't read the book, and after seeing the movie, I'm not sure I want to." I rolled my eyes and leaned forward, fully intending on making her at least _understand_ my reasoning. "It was stupid. The acting was subpar at best. I will admit, though, that Zac was really good eye candy. Amazing eye candy, actually."

We'd been discussing movies for a while, and at some point, Rosalie brought up _The Lucky One _based off the Nicholas Sparks book.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes, leaned forward, too, and said, "The acting was 'subpar at best?' Are you serious? And it was stupid? How? I thought it did an excellent job portraying the book, though a few details here and there were left out. It was cute"

"Yes, I'm serious. I just felt like they were all over the place and rushing too much when they shouldn't have because the final product looked rushed and didn't really make sense to me," I explained. As the bell rang, I gathered up my things to leave before standing up and stretching. "I'm not saying it was really bad. I just think that, for a cute storyline, they didn't at all do it justice. The movie had a lot of potential, and then you watch it, and it's like 'what happened?''

I couldn't adequately explain how I felt about the movie. I didn't really like it, but I didn't dislike it, either. It was just...It was one of those movies that you would have to see to understand what I meant—a love it or nothing, no in between type of movie.

"What is that?" asked Rosalie, ignoring what I'd said, her eyes wide in shock. Her face screwed up in a peculiar way, taking on a mask of repulsion, she pointed, and then repeated, "_What. Is. That?_" stressing each word forcefully.

I frowned in confusion. "What?"

She didn't say anything, only continued to point. The longer she did this, the more her face showed the disgust she was feeling, and I, realizing she wasn't going to say anything else, eventually turned my head to see what she was talking about.

For the first time in my life, I could honestly say I felt my heart drop out of my ass.

The shirt I'd chosen to wear that morning was a bit small, but seeing as how I hadn't washed my clothes in about a week, it was all I had to wear. Because it was small, the sleeves just barely reached the end of my wrists, which meant all day I had to be conscious of my movements.

Talking with Rosalie, I'd let my guard down, I stopped being conscious, and my arm was suddenly on display for her.

"Bella, breath," I heard her say quietly. "It's okay. I promise. It's all fine."

I sucked in a huge breath of air, gasping for it as I had stopped breathing for a moment in my shock. Different things were running through my head, and I felt hot tears welling up in my eyes, but I worked hard to not let them fall. Without another word, I began to pick up my things up to leave. She grabbed my hand, and I pulled it back like she'd burned me.

"I have to go," I mumbled, getting my back pack off the floor.

She frowned. "Bella, wait. I..."

"I'm going to be late for French!" I snapped, once again snatching my arm away from her. "Now stop touching me."

I didn't spare another glance in her direction. Instead, I left out of the library as quickly as I could, rushing to my next class and thanking God I didn't have any classes with her for the rest of the day.

.

.

.

.

If Rosalie ever said anything about what she saw that day in the library, no one dared to bring it up to me. If she didn't say anything, then someone was going to bring it up soon. I didn't know which one it was, but I could tell by the looks they'd all been given over the last week that they knew _something_. Then again, they didn't have to necessarily know anything to know that something had happened between Rosalie and I.

To say things were awkward would be an understatement. Admittedly, it was mostly because of me. I didn't know how to be around her anymore. Whenever she looked at me, I knew she was judging me. All I could ever think about the was abject horror on her face as she asked "What is that?"

"Stop frowning. You're going to get wrinkles," Charlotte warned, running her fingers between my eyebrows until I stopped. "And stop worrying so much, will you? She hasn't said anything."

Her words only made me frown again. "If she hasn't said anything, how do you know? More importantly, what if she does say something? I don't want anyone else to know! I can't handle everyone knowing."

"Of course we know," Charlotte said, rolling your eyes. "We're your parents. If Rosalie hadn't of come to us, she surely would've gone to Carlisle or Esme, and neither of us would be happy with that. Anyway, what's so wrong if they find out? Help me understand."

I sighed. "It's...really embarrassing. Humiliating. They're so perfect and happy and have no problems and aren't scared of anything. You all are. And here I am, little pathetic, human girl who hurts herself to feel alive. How can any of you understand that?" I questioned, feeling as if my world was caving in above me. "I know what I've been through. I know what I've done. I'm reminded of it every single time I look in the mirror. I don't want them throwing it in my face, too. Especially Alice."

She'd been acting strange all week. At first she was, as usual, her angry, hateful self—we'd exchanged more than a few insults back and forth over the week—but her demeanor abruptly changed. Now, she was always smiling, smirking and winking at me when the others weren't looking. When they were looking, she was always cheerful and polite. Her sudden 180 had me on my toes.

"Bella..." Charlotte trailed off, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, muttering too quietly for me to hear. I knew she was counting backwards from 10. It was what she did now after it was advised from one of the many magazines she was subscribed to. She did it every time she needed to remember to stay calm. "Are things getting bad for you again?"

"No. Maybe? I don't know."

"Okay. We'll figure that out with time. Maybe even talk to Carlisle if that's okay with you." She took my hands in her on, resting her chin on them lightly, and looked me in the eye. The love her eyes held for me was so strong and visible it was almost suffocating. Really, I wouldn't have minded dying under it. "Believe me when I say the Cullen's are the last people on earth who would ever, ever make you feel anything less than you are because of the way you handled yourself. Yes, it was unhealthy, but it was your way. I know for a fact that they've all had things to deal with and didn't deal with them in a way that was any better than what you did. If they ever make you feel bad, then they're being hypocrites and just don't know how to deal with their _own_ lingering insecurities, self-doubt, and self-hate."

I shook my head. Her words, while making me feel a bit better, didn't change my mind. "Mom..."

"No. No, don't do that. Don't kick yourself down. They are _not_ perfect, and they never, ever will be. Vampire or not. I want you to remember that," she murmured, kissing the top of my head. "If you decide to tell them, and they give you problems, I'll make them regret it. Your dad will, too. If Alice says anything, I'll just end her right then and there. She's already sitting in hot shit."

Her expression was serious, her words were serious, and the moment was equally as serious, but all that seriousness was shattered when one giggle, almost immediately followed by a string of more, slipped from between my lips.

"What?" Charlotte asked, frowning in confusion.

That only made me laugh a little harder. At first, I thought it was a simple slip of the tongue, which was why I started giggling in the first place, but then she tried to play it off like it _was_ a slip of the tongue, and I knew right then that she only said hoping for the reaction that she got.

"You can't lie for anything, mom," I pointed out, my giggles slowly turning into occasional chuckles, those in turn stopping altogether.

She smiled. "I made you laugh, though, so it's okay."

"And it wasn't even as funny as I made it seem," I confessed, grinning. "But I liked it, so I laughed. So, yeah, it's okay."

And now you're feeling..."

"A little better."

It was the truth. I was feeling better than I had been just minutes ago before we started talking.

"Good." She kissed the top of my head one last time before going back over to the stove. "Now, go shower so you can be cleaned up by time dinner is ready."

"...Oh. I was wondering why all those things were out," I mumbled, hopping off the counter I was on. Truthfully, I was hoping they were bad, so she didn't try to cook them. "What are you making for dinner?"

Charlotte turned to look at me. "Don't sound so disappointed that I'm trying to feed my child." She scowled. "And lasagna."

"Oh, joy."

Lasagna was my favorite, but I had a feeling it wouldn't be after tonight.

"Go upstairs!" she snapped.

I chuckled and began to walk out. "Oh!"-I turned back to look at her-"Where's dad?"

"I don't know. Out, I guess," was her quiet reply, more focused on what she was doing than what I was asking.

I sighed and headed upstairs, not at all surprised by her answer.

Of course Peter was out. When he wasn't off in space, he was out.

I didn't know the why to _that_, either.

**~HTH~**

After grabbing some clothes from my room, I headed to the bathroom. While I waited for the water to get hot, I danced around, having brought my speaker dock with me to listen to music while I showered, while simultaneously brushing my hair.

"_What makes you think that you can just walk back into her life without a good fight?_" I sang into my hairbrush along with En Vogue, dancing like I was a part of their music video, too. "_I just sit back and watch you make a fool of yourself, 'cause you're just waisting your time. _Oh!" I screamed.

My brush fell to the ground with a loud thud, my breath got caught in my throat, and my heart stopped for a moment before picking up to an almost alarming pace.

"Bella, are you alright?" It was Peter.

I couldn't answer at first. Turning to hit the chorus, I came face-to-face with a mirror, and staring back at me were two pair of eyes.

I didn't wear glasses.

I shook my head to clear it and answered, "Yeah. I'm fine. Just saw my face in the reflection."

He didn't laugh like I thought he would.

"Is that all it was?" he asked, voice low and firm. I recognized it was the tone he used when he suspected I was lying.

I headed toward the window that was in my bathroom—placed up high to keep Peeping Tom's away, I supposed—stood up on my toes and looked out of it, frowning. The only way for anyone to get up to the window was the climb on the big tree outside of it, but there wasn't any way to climb up said tree, which could only mean I hadn't actually _seen_ anyone.

My mind was just playing tricks on me.

"Yeah, that's all it was," I assured both him and myself. "I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you."

I could picture him nodding as he replied, "It's okay."

After a few minutes of silence had passed, I grimaced. "Dad, I can't shower with you standing _right_ outside my door like that."

"Right," I heard him saying, clearly as embarrassed as I was. "Sorry. I'm going now."

**~HTH~**

"What are you doing in my room? And what the hell are you doing with that? Did you go through my stuff?" I screeched, flying at him like a bat out of hell.

Jasper chuckled, easily moving out of the way. "I was waiting for you, I was looking through it, and no, it was laying on your desk. Open, I might add. I thought it was okay."

"Well, obviously it isn't," I snapped, snatching my sketch book out of his hands. "What are you doing in my house?"

"I came to see you, _obviously_," he said, lifting an eyebrow at me as if _I_ was the crazy one for asking such a question.

"Why?"

"Because I realize that the only way you'll ever talk to me again is if I apologize," he explained. "So, I am here to apologize. Bella, I'm sorry for the way I behaved. I was..._I_ was stupid. Nothing like that will ever happen again. I promise. You can befriend whoever the hell you want, and I won't say anything because it isn't my place to try to dictate your life and relationships."

He was forgiven instantly.

Of course he was.

It actually kind of hurt to not be talking to him, to not be around him, which was weird and ridiculous and maybe even a bit creepy because I didn't even know Jasper all that well.

"I'm glad you realize your mistake. I forgive you," I said.

"Good. I promise this is the last time I'll have to make up with you, too," he added.

I didn't believe that, but I nodded anyway and said, "Good."

There was a pregnant pause, though it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. I was sure silence between Jasper and I would never be uncomfortable or awkward. The way I felt around him, it couldn't be.

"So...you're an artist."

I blushed at that, shaking my head vigorously in denial. "No. No way. I just like to draw. No big deal really."

"Maybe not to you." He scoffed. "If I could draw half as well as you, I'd be showing it off the world."

I was as red as a tomato. "Oh, shut up."

"I'm serious!"

Art was something I'd always been fascinated with. When I was younger, if I wasn't reading, I was drawing, or painting, or just doing anything with my hands that was considered art. Eventually, my love of art became my love of sketching. While I still appreciated all things artistic, I mostly swayed to drawings. I could admit that I was a pretty damn good sketch artist myself.

Around Jasper, however, I was shy and modest and embarrassed that he was complimenting me so much, slightly pleased as well.

"Had I seen that, though"-he pointed to the my now closed journal which read **PRIVATE**-"I wouldn't have opened it. Wouldn't have even touched it, actually. I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "It's okay. Thank you."

There was another pause. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, never saying anything.

"There was one guy in there that you drew a lot," he commented, nonchalant.

I nodded but didn't reply. It was a subject I didn't want to get in to.

"Very...explicit drawings, too," he continued. "I take it that Peter and Charlotte didn't know about that."

My expression must have given me away.

"...Who is he?" he finally asked, it obviously being what he was getting at this whole time.

I shrugged. "Why?"

"Curious?"

"James. My ex boyfriend," I told him. "Anything else you would like to know, now's your chance to ask."

And he did. "Why'd you two break up?"

"Obviously you didn't get the sarcasm in my tone, Jasper. I don't want to talk about him. If you do, you can go ask someone who will be willing to," was my answer. "We broke up for personal reasons and that's all you'll ever know."

"The subject is officially closed, then," he said.

I nodded. "Good thinking, Sherlock."

Jasper smirked. "Anyone ever tell you that you're a horribly sarcastic person?"

"Yes, but I blame my mother."

He laughed loudly. "She says you shouldn't."

"She likes to deny things a lot," I explained in a mock whisper, both of us laughing now.

"Char says if you keep lying on her, she'll ruin your lasagna."

I cracked up at that, shaking my head. I was sure it was already too late for that, but I didn't say anything. On the off chance that she cooked something right, I wouldn't take any chances.

I set my sketch book back on my desk, through my clothes in my hamper, and thanked the lord that I changed into clothes that covered me up.

"I realize we've known each other for about a month now, and we still don't know anything about the other," Jasper said when I turned back to face him, smiling. "I think that's weird. I feel like I should at least know _something_ about the new addition to the family."

Being called "family" sounded much more appealing in regards to Emmett and even Rosalie than it did with Jasper.

"That would probably be best. I mean, if I'm going to be family"-the word lost all good meaning to me, then-"I need to know about you. I need to know whether or not I'll be around a serial killer or something."

He didn't laugh.

"Sorry. Are we not there yet?" I asked, though it wasn't a sinciere apology. I was trying really hard to keep the laughs in.

Jasper tilted his head slightly to the right, frowning while at the same time giving me a small, bewildered smiled. "You're a very weird human being, you know that?"

"Another trait I get from Charlotte," I deadpanned.

He grinned. "I don't doubt it."

"Anyway. Your point was..."

Jasper nodded. "Right, right. My point was that you and I need to hang out. That's actually another reason why I'm here, too. Esme finally figured out when she wanted to do the whole family trip to an amusement park or whatever."

"Really? When?"

Even though I was not on speaking terms with two of the Cullen kids, I was still ridiculously excited for that.

"For your birthday."

My excitement died. "Yeah, that's not going to work."

"Why not?" questioned Jasper, more curious than upset by the news.

"Because 1) Charlotte is planning a dinner for me. I can't blow that off. I'm actually really looking forward to it know. 2) Angela is coming over after said family dinner. We're going to have a sleepover."

He smirked. "Will there be little tops and underwear and pillow fights and making out?"

"You watch too much TV," I told him, rolling my eyes. Those were the last things that would ever happen. "We'll just have to reschedule."

"Your birthday is on a Friday this year. Esme was thinking we could go on Saturday around 6. She wants to fly out to Orlando." Jasper seemed to lose himself in his thoughts for a moment before continuing, "I'm sure that if, assuming she gets permission from her parents, it wouldn't be a problem if Angela tagged along."

And the excitement was back on. That actually sounded like the best idea ever. I'd been to Orlando before, and it was beyond fun, but this time, if it all worked out, it would be even better because I had friends that would be there with me.

"Oh! That would be abso-fucking-lutely perfect, you have no idea how happy you just made me!" In my excitement, I threw myself at him, holding him tightly as if my life depended on it, and didn't realize it until I came down from my excitement high.

Note to self: the silence may not be awkward, but the hugging definitely, **definitely** is. Retreat! Retreat!

It was awkward and weird and I felt stupid and embarrassed, but it felt so nice and perfect and weirdly warm that I didn't want to let go, but I had to because the awkwardness and the weirdness and the stupidity and embarrassment far outweighed the warm fuzzy feelings.

I moved away, cheeks once again going bright red, and Jasper chuckled.

"I have some idea of how happy I just made you," he said, looking at me pointedly.

"Right. Empath. Forgot," I mumbled, shrugging the moment off with a nervous, half giggle, half hysterical laugh.

He shook his head, smiling kindly at me. "Charlotte says it's time for dinner."

"Awesome!" I exclaimed, thankful for the escape that was provided, knowing Charlotte mostly said it because she knew me so well and wanted to save me from the weirdness I was starting to feel.

I could hear his laughter behind me as I walked out of the room, which only made me blush harder.

Stupid fucking Empaths.

As I hit the last step, a thought to me occurred and I whirled around, frowning. "How long have you been waiting for me?"

"Um...Maybe ten minutes? You were turning the shower off when I got here," he said, no doubt confused by question.

I nodded. "Oh. I was asking because I thought...never mind. It doesn't matter."

"Now I'm overly curious," he told me, gently grabbing hold of my arm and turning me back around to face him once again before I could leave to the kitchen to get my dinner. "What is it?"

I didn't want to explain it to him now more than ever. It wasn't because I thought he was going to think I was crazy or anything, which he probably would, but I wasn't even worried about it, but I just had a feeling of wariness that told me I shouldn't say anything.

Or maybe that wariness was telling me to say something. I didn't know.

However, it wasn't just him that I didn't want to tell. I knew Peter was home. I didn't want to say it in front of him, either.

_Apparently, I inherited a trait from Peter, too: the gift of just knowing shit._

"Bella, tell me. I promise I won't think you're crazy or anything." He smirked. "At least, any more crazy than I already do."

I glared. "Hardy-fucking-har-har."

"Tell me."

I sighed, shook my head, and against my better judgment, explained, "Really, it's nothing. I just thought I saw a face outside my bathroom window earlier, but I hadn't. I was assuming, for just a moment, that maybe it was you trying to be funny, but it couldn't have been you. Like I said, never mind. It doesn't matter. I'm just more than a little crazy now-a-days."

_._

_._

_._

_._

_Anonymous #2's POV_

It wasn't fair how in love with her he was. I was just as good looking as she was, probably more, I was just as funny and smart and all around lovely like her. I knew he loved me, too, but it was nothing compared to his love for _her_. It never would be like that for me. Was it even love? His obsessive behavior lately had me believing differently, and I didn't really know anything about this anymore.

"Look, you know I'll help you with whatever, _whatever_ you need and want, but I am _not_ a fucking babysitter," I said as he came over to me, standing up from the ground. "She can look after herself. If you don't trust her to do that, do it yourself. I'm not doing it anymore. Anything else, but not that."

He nodded. "Okay. I understand."

"I don't think you do." I laughed humorlessly and shook my head. "You don't understand at all. You know how I feel about all of this, but you just don't get it, and I'm not sure you ever will."

He took a step toward me, and I stepped back, shaking my head again. I loved him, and I wanted him happy, so I would help him get what he wanted, but that was it. I wasn't going to continue to put up with being number two all the time.

"Don't be that way. Please." He was in front of me before I had the chance to move, taking my hands in his. "Contrary to what you seem to believe, I need you. I need her. I need you both. I want you both. Why is that so hard to accept?"

I glared. "You can't be in love with two people."

"You can. I _am_," he insisted, dropping my hands and gently holding onto my face. "And I'll prove to you that this is all going to work. _We're_ going to work."

He looked so serious. The emotions in his eyes were intense, and I knew he was serious, but I dropped the subject anyway. I didn't want to do this. Not today. "I looked in. She was fine. I think she saw me, though."

"What? How? What in the hell were you doing that that was possible?" he asked in alarm, easily allowing the subject to drop with that bit of information. "More importantly, what was she doing?"

I shrugged. "She was going to the shower. I got curious. Hormonal teenager and all that."

"I swear to God, P..." He trailed off, breathing deeply. "You..."

I chuckled. He was pissed. Good. Made moving on from him easier. "Chill out. I didn't see anything. She was too busy trying to be a Destiny's Child or whatever."

He didn't say anything for the longest time. Instead, cocked his head to the side and frowned, a peculiar expression taking over his face.

"What are you..."

"Shh." His frowned deepened, and before I could try to ask what was going on, he straightened and said, "It's time for you to go."

I rolled my eyes. "Why?"

"Because we do. Someone's coming, and... I want to go see her now," he explained, smiling sheepishly.

I nodded. I wasn't going to get angry this time. I offered to help, and I would. When that was over with, I'd walk away. I'd be done. No use in crying over spilled milk, right?

"Look, you're playing a dangerous game. If you don't stop now, you're going to get caught and then you'll never get Bella. She'll never want you," I said, shoving my hands in my pockets as I began to slowly walk away from him. "When you're ready to do what you came to do, give me a call. I'll always be here to help.

Before I got too far away, he called out to me, "A month and a half! A month and a half, and then we'll get to what's really important. I promise. I just want some time to get to know her first."

"Whatever," was my mumbled response.

I walked deeper into the forest to disappear, and this time he let me.

_._

_._

_._

_._

_Bella's POV_

"_My old man is a bad man, but I can't deny the way he holds my hand, and he grabs me. He has me by my heart,_" Charlotte confessed, blowing a kiss at Peter before giving him a little smirk. "_He doesn't mind I have a Las Vegas past. He doesn't mind I have an L.A. crass way about me. He loves me with every beat of his cocaine heart.__.."_

_"God, I'm so crazy, baby. I'm sorry that I'm misbehaving. I'm your little harlot, starlet, Queen of Coney Island, raisin' hell all over town. Sorry 'bout it," _I finished, dancing around with her.

Things were good. Charlotte successfully made a dish of lasagna. I was very proud, but I knew she was even prouder. After explaining to Jasper that I'd thought I saw someone in my bathroom mirror, it got a little weird. He and Peter were giving each other such peculiar looks that I almost forgot about why they were looking like that in the first place and asked if they wanted a room so they could be alone. That ended quickly, though, and everything went back to "normal."

Now—meaning Charlotte, Peter, Jasper and I—were just hanging out in the living room. Peter and Jasper were playing poker, betting anything and everything they had in their pockets just for kicks, while Charlotte and I danced and sang along with our favorite songs. That was all we did for hours. Eventually, Peter and Jasper got tired of playing their card games, so they joined Charlotte and I, which led to a battle of Girls vs Boys.

Like with all competitions pairing the opposite sex together, all out war soon broke out, and we were in the death rounds. How it was decided which team won was beyond me. I don't think anyone even cared who won—we were just having fun. At least, Jasper and I didn't care. We called it quits after it became apparent that Peter and Charlotte weren't going to let the game go without deciding on a winner.

Those two were the worst when they were paired against each other, but it was comical, so we didn't do anything to stop them.

"Just admit that you've been defeated, Peter. I'm ready to move on now," Charlotte said, growing irritated.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Babe, I won. Jasper and Bella can vouch for me."

"Oh, no, I'm not getting in the middle of this," Jasper and I said at the same time, raising our hands in surrender.

I looked over at him, grinned, and shook my head. He returned my smile with one of his own and winked at me. Clearly we were on the same page. Choosing sides would make matters worse.

"Obviously they don't want to hurt your feelings, but I have no problems doing so," growled my mother. She placed a hand on her hip, stood on her toes so she was eye-to-eye with him, and jabbed a finger in to his chest. "You. Lost."

I sighed. How they could go from being so loving it made me sick to practically hating each other all in the name of winning back to being so loving, I didn't know. It was crazy how often they argued, but their arguments were hardly ever serious and they never lasted long, so I didn't worry about it. They just sometimes got a point of beyond ridiculous and annoying.

"The only way a winner will ever be picked is if someone from the outside judged for us." I had their attention. "Karaoke. We can go that karaoke bar we passed coming here in Seattle on one of their competition nights. There, a winner will be determined."

As they thought over what I said, I could practically see the gears turning in their heads. I knew they were trying to weight the odds of them winning against the other. When they decided that their chances of winning were 50/50, they both nodded.

"Okay," they said.

Charlotte smiled. "That actually sounds like fun. I'm in. And when I win, you're going shopping with me, Peter."

"First, what do you mean 'when?' There is no win for you. Second, I always go shopping with you! Why would you want that if you won—keyword: if."

She scowled and replied, "I want you to go shopping with me without complaining, without checking the time, without walking off somewhere, and without getting us kicked out of the fucking mall. Dammit!" she exclaimed.

Peter and I both winced at the memory. Charlotte came home especially pissed that day. I can't recall the details of what had happened, and I don't know what happened between the two of them, but Peter didn't come out of the room for an entire two weeks afterward.

"Am I missing something?" Jasper asked, looking between us all with confusion. I could only imagine what he was feeling from the three of us together.

"We'd rather not talk about it," my parents answered together, both snappish.

He once again raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry. Anyway, the competition. Peter, what do you want if you win?"

"Um..." He hesitated, opening and closing his mouth a few times. He looked to Charlotte and said, "I'll tell you later."

I shuddered, and she grinned, tilting her head to the right, saying, "I think I know what it is."

"I know you do."

I frowned. "I really don't want to hear anymore of this. I have an idea of what you all are speaking of—thank God I'm too grossed out already to actually think out the specifics—and you need to stop _right_ now. I'm not even joking."

My parents laughed, but they, too, wanted to stop talking about it in front of me, so they did.

I couldn't really tell you what went on between the hours after that and the moment that would change everything. I was lost in the good vibes that were seemingly going around that I just wasn't thinking too much like usual.

**~HTH~**

"This is honestly the worst idea you have ever had!" came Rosalie's angry exclamation from outside.

I looked over at the others and frowned. "Why is she here, and who is she talking to?"

"Alice," the three of them answered together.

"This is what I'm doing, and you can't stop me!" was Alice's reply. "Everyone has a right to know."

All three of them stood up, and so did I. "What's going on? What is she talking about?"

"I had a feeling this was going to happen," Peter said. He wasn't looking at me, though. He was looking at Jasper. "I think she actually went through with it."

Charlotte shook her head. "Is this what we were talking about just this morning? You said it wasn't likely..."

"I said I had my suspicions, that it was likely, and I hoped it wouldn't actually happen," Peter corrected her.

I snapped, "What the hell are you three going on about?"

Instead of talking to me, they were talking _about_ me. I didn't like that. Apparently, going by the expressions on their faces and their words, it was something serious. What upset me even more was that they knew this was likely to happen and _still_ hadn't felt the need to tell me. No. What pissed me off was that it was _happening_, and they still weren't talking to me.

"You've noticed that I haven't been home often lately, right?" asked Peter.

I scowled. "Kind of hard to miss that.

"Yes, well, the reason for that was because I've had an inkling that Alice was up to something," he explained. He gave a heavy sigh before continuing, "It didn't occur to me until today what exactly it was that she was doing, and that was..."

"Finding out the truth, unveiling the truth," said Alice as she walked into our house, the others right behind her.

"Alice," I said by way of greeting, nodding.

"Bella."

Charlotte pulled me back to her, and I looked up to see her, not surprisingly, glaring at Alice—glaring at all of them, really. "Right now isn't really a good time for this."

"Sure it is," Alice responded, grinning. "Everyone has a right to know the real reason why you guys are here, right? Rosalie deserves some insight on why Bella cuts herself."

The room went silent, and all eyes were on me as the ones who _didn't_ know what Alice had just revealed processed the new information. This allowed me to see whether or not Rosalie had said anything after that day in the library. She had because Emmett didn't look surprised. Neither did Jasper, but I guessed he found out from Peter, though I didn't think he knew all the specifics. Peter wouldn't have told him that much. Even if he wanted to, Charlotte wouldn't have let him.

"Now that I seem to have everyone's attention," began Alice, "Why don't you all sit down so I can explain what we're all doing here?"

At the same time that my parents took a step toward her, Esme grabbed her arm, yanking her back roughly, looking as fierce as an over-protective mother bear would. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded. "You're doing this for what? Because..."

"Because she's jealous. She's jealous, and she has nothing better to do with her time," Jasper snapped. "This is ridiculous. This is also wasting our time. Quit while you're still ahead, Alice. I only see this ending in one way."

"I want to hear what she has to say," I heard myself mumble against my better judgement. "I want to know what the three of you know"-I looked toward Peter, Charlotte, and Jasper, and the three of them looked rightfully guilty-"and more importantly, I want to know what she knows."

Before anything else was said, they all made their way to sit down, leaving only Alice and me standing. As I looked around at them, I could see that they were all in various states of anger and confusion—mostly confusion on Esme and Carlisle's part who seemed to have absolutely no idea what was going on.

I was much like the two of them, but it was starting to dawn on me just what Alice might have found, and I began to get a sinking feeling in my gut.

This was probably the other shoe dropping.

Suddenly, I didn't want it as much as I had before.

"You might want to sit down, too, Bella," suggested Alice.

"I'll stand."

And so, Alice began to tell the tale of what I was convinced would be my downfall, starting off with my time in both treatment—really a nice way of saying my time in a psych ward—and rehab (at different times, of course). Two very different things, in my opinion, and for two different reasons, though both serious issues that shouldn't have been brought up. However, I could, albeit unhappily, that I deserved it. I too had, after all, poked fun at her being placed into a mental institution our first day meeting.

"This is just to show that, for the record, Bella was put into an asylum, as well," she explained, passing out copied papers of the document she no doubt stole—"under the table bargaining" she'd called it—which confirmed my stay. "As you can see, I was kind enough to mark out the 'why's' for you, Bella. I figured you'd like to explain that to them."

I rolled my eyes. "How thoughtful of you, Alice. Really. Thanks so much for giving me this opportunity." So far, I had panicked for nothing. True, I didn't want all this dirty laundry aired, but it wasn't as bad as I had thought it was going to be. "But this proves what exactly?"

"Nothing really. I just wanted it to be known so people"-she gave each of us a pointed look-"would stop calling me crazy. Especially you. I wasn't the only one locked up."

"But you got sent away because you _are_ crazy," Emmett so kindly pointed out.

I snorted. "Amen to that."

Everyone sans Peter, Esme and Charlotte began to talk at once, loudly, but Carlisle silenced them with a glare before politely asking, "Why were you there?"

"Well, like anyone who goes to rehab, I needed to be cured of my addiction," I told him. "The usual stuff: alcohol, painkillers. Um...the psych—St. Peter Elizabeth's—I was in there for, as Alice mentioned earlier, self-harm. It..."

"Was far more than just cutting," interrupted Alice, her face contorting into an expression of disgust. "There was burning and hitting and breaking and fighting, probably..."

I snapped, "Yes, Alice, we get it. I'm a screwed up little girl who likes to hurt herself. While we're on the subject, I guess I should tell you all that I'm on medication, too. Depression and anxiety and bipolar disorder, too! I am fucking crazy! Is that what you wanted to hear me say? That I'm just as screwed in the head as you?"

"Partly, yes."

Aside from the few gasps that were heard during our speaking—from who I couldn't tell you because I was too busy focusing on Alice—the room almost completely silent, the only sound I registered being my breathing, which was heavy from the anger brewing inside me.

It was stupid. It was unnecessary. It fucking hurt. I didn't deserve this. I couldn't have cared less if she didn't like me, but the hatred in her eyes when she looked at me bothered me. It pissed me off, made me sad—confused me.

And then she looked at Jasper, and it suddey hit me, and I didn't know how I could be so stupid to miss _that_.

Jasper. It was all about Jasper. The way she got protective of him whenever I was around, the way she hung all over him—the way she wanted me gone the second we'd met.

Alice saw me as competition.

"I think we've heard enough," said Carlisle, leaving no room for argument. His face was a mask of cool control, no emotion, and I wondered if he was angry for me or just Alice's behavior in general. "Bella, Peter, Charlotte—I am so terribly sorry that this has happened. Coming over, I had no idea that Alice would do such a stunt, and I can assure you it will be dealt with properly."

Esme nodded, frowning. I knew it had to be heartbreaking for her to watch it all unfold. She didn't have it in her to be okay with what was going on. "It will be," she agreed with her husband, giving another nod, firmer this time. "And nothing like this will ever happen again."

I did want them to leave, wanted this to be over and left alone, but I couldn't let it end without knowing:

"So everything has been about him since day one?"

My words didn't look to surprise or confuse any of them. They all knew already. It was just another thing they wanted to keep from me.

"You're willing to hurt me, a girl you don't even know, over some boy who doesn't even want me?" I laughed dryly, shaking my head. "Over a boy who i don't even like in that way?" I got looks of surprise that time. "Emerson once said that envy was ignorance. Clearly you did _not_ get that memo."

Alice ignored me, shifting through the multiple folders she brought with her before passing them out to everyone, throwing the last one on the coffee table carelessly, allowing the papers inside to fan about.

"What was even the point of all of this?" I was growing extremely impatient and irritated.

"You know why," was all she said.

I rolled my eyes. "For Heaven's sake, will you give it a rest? You may not be mates, but you're married, so clearly he loves you! How in the hell can you be so delusional.

"Everyone please look in your folders," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Bella, I don't..."

I shook my head. "Dad, I want to hear what she has to say. Right now, she's the only one being honest about her intentions."

Alice smirked. Gasps and "Oh, my God"s and "God, no!"s were being thrown around the room, which made her smirk grow wider into a dark, vicious grin.

"Tonight, you all learn the real reason for Bella's self-destructive behavior. The real reason for their impromptu move; you learn the real reason why Bella is so ashamed of herself, and rightfully so."

Alice began to tell a story—the warped version of _my_ story. She explained to them how I met James, how quickly we hit if off, became an item, and how soon sex became a ver important everyday thing in our relationship. She told them about how I would ask for him to hit me, how I begged him to get rough with me and hurt me and break me. She told them all how I wanted James and Aaron, his nrother, to fuck me together in the woods. Let them know that it had been my idea all along to accuse them of rape, to get them sent to jail for ten years.

Except it was all lies. It all came from his mouth; it was _his_ story.

My vision was blurred as tears filled my eyes, and my breathing was coming in short, shallow pants, hyperventilating—on the verge of a panic attack and trying hard not to cry.

It was as if I was back in that court room again, as if I were once again in the woods. I could see me with him at his house, at mine, in our spot in the woods. I could feel his hands all over my body. Their hands. Hear their whispered words of love and adoration and hate and lust, hear their moans and groans and grunts of pleasure in my ear even though my cries and screams and whimpers became louder than the two of them combined. I could see their faces, smiling down at me as if they were doing nothing wrong; I could see the greed and power and lust and anger in their eyes.

I was reliving everything over and over again, and it hurt.

"Bella, can you hear me? Breath," someone commanded.

I listened, but I didn't stick around for more. Somehow, with clouded eyes, heavy ears and an even heavier heart and mind, I made it to my bathroom. Instantly, music filled my ears, so loud it hurt. I knew leaving my iPod and speaker in there would pay off.

I rummaged around in my sink drawer, retrieved a blade I kept around for "just in case," and fell to my knees, pulling up my sleeve and tearing into it immediately.

Now instead of tears, my vision was full of blood, and I liked it, so I kept cutting and cutting and cutting until I began to feel lightheaded, but even then I didn't stop.

_They_ didn't stop. Why should I?

There was banging and yelling outside my door, but I was too far gone in the past to care.

"_TALK WON'T WORK THIS OUT, I DON'T NEED TO SHARE, I JUST NEED TO SCREAM!_" Craig Owens admitted.

And I did. I screamed, and I screamed until there was nothing left—until I couldn't take it anymore and finally blacked out.


	12. Chapter 12: I Am Fragile, But I Am Free

_**Highway to Hell**_

A|N: And our couple gets even closer. Hooray for them. Chapter title by Maria Mena. Lee Pace in Garrett form is Peter. Did I mention that already?

**I keep forgetting to mention that I don't actually own Twilight or have anything to do with the series. I do, however, own this story. The idea. And all the books mentioned, though I don't actually own, own those, either. Bella's bragging is mine. Twilight belongs to Stephanie. **

_Chapter 12: I am Fragile, but I am Free_

* * *

_He banged on the door wildly, yelling at me to let him in, but I couldn't. I was a mess of uncontrollable sobs and heartbreak, and all I could do was cry and shake my head, trying to convince myself that I hadn't seen what I saw._

_But it was to no use. I did see it, and now I couldn't unsee it. It happened. There was no going back from it._

_"Isabella, just open the goddamn door, and we can talk about this," James said. "What you saw out there was a mistake. It wasn't meant to happen, I swear."_

_What I saw was my boyfriend fucking another on my couch. What made the situation worse was that I thought she was my friend. Knowing I was only being lied to by both of them made me cry harder. How long had the affair been going on? How could I have been so stupid and blind?_

_"I love you, baby, and I don't want to lose you, but I'm getting angry," he snapped. "So let me in before this gets any worse."_

_I sputtered in disbelief as I tried to speak, at a loss at what to say. He was angry? He, of all fucking people in our current situation, was angry? How was that even possible? How the fuck was that even fair?_

_"You're angry?" I dumbly asked. "You weren't the one being cheated on, James. I was! You don't have the right to be angry, and you know it, you fucking asshole."_

_We'd been together for six months. I always thought it was stupid when people celebrated that point in their relationship, but when he mentioned wanting to do something for it, how could I say no? He was so cute and charming, and when he asked, it was the first time I'd ever seen him shy and bashful, and I wanted to do it for him. I made it seem like it wasn't that big of a deal, but secretly, I was excited._

_Had I known I would walk in to his house and find him hooking up with someone I thought was a friend on his couch, I wouldn't have gotten dressed up. I wouldn't have come over in the first place._

_They hadn't noticed me at first, and in my shock, I couldn't move. It wasn't until James happened to look up and see me that what was going on caught up with me. He was cheating on me on our sixth month anniversary—the anniversary **he** wanted to celebrate. He jumped up, got dressed quickly, and pleaded with me to understand. She, Krista Harris, didn't even bother to try to explain or anything. I had run up to my room and locked myself in there, thankful that my parents had went out of town._

_James didn't say anything back. Instead, he walked away, and I relaxed into my bed, thinking I was in the clear of having to deal with him anymore tonight._

_That wasn't the case, though, because seconds later he came crashing through my door, ripping it cleanly off its hinges. I screamed, caught off guard, and sat up, quickly moving back against my headboard in fright._

_"I think it just got worse, Isabella," he confessed, glowering darkly at me._

_My breath hitched, and I looked to my right then my left, weighing my odds of getting around him. I was fast, but he was faster. My odds were slim._

_"Just leave me alone! You've caused enough trouble as it is!" I cried, the confidence in my voice wavering with each word._

_James chuckled dryly, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Honey, the trouble we're going to get into hasn't even begun."_

_I glared._

_"Look, I cheated. You know that, and I know that, but you're crying is starting to bug the hell out of me. I'm either forgiven or not and we're through, but crying about it won't solve anything. It won't change the past," he said, rolling his eyes._

_He was right, of course. He always was in the end._

_I scrubbed at my face until the tears stopped and were gone, sniffled a few times, and then sat up straight, resolved to not cry over it again. Spilled milk, right?_

_"Can I be forgiven?" asked James, a hopeful look in his eyes. "Can we work this out, or are we done for?"_

_I thought about it for a while before nodding. I loved him. Forgiveness and second chances was what really made love work, right?_

_A grin began to make its way onto his face slowly. Needing confirmation, he said, "Yes?"_

_"Yes." I nodded again._

_His joy was infectious, and I couldn't help returning his grin as he leaned in to kiss me, pushing gently onto my back the second our lips touched. He pushed open my legs slightly, moved between them, and three things happened next: our trouble began, I vowed to try hard to never cry again, and I had sex for the first time._

_I turned fifteen the next day._

— **Current Day** —_**  
**_

The next morning, I awoke, making a sound that I didn't want to believe came from me—it resembled a dying walrus that wouldn't stop groaning even though it was supposed to be dead already.

I couldn't really blamed myself for it, though. Upon opening my eyes, I felt as if I'd gotten them sentenced to hell, what with they burned and watered from all the light shinning through the window. On impulse, I threw my arm over my eyes, closed them, and let out a hiss that resembled 1931s _Dracula_—yes, it was that bad. Anyway, the hiss made me suddenly aware of the sore, burning sensation in my throat. Every ruined I swallowed, I wished for death.

I just figured it was a day of burning because I became aware of my arms next, burning and itching and covered in bandages. That wasn't so unusual or out of place for me. It was, however, surprising; I hadn't cut in such a long time. What had happened?

After blinking rapidly for a few minutes trying to get used to the sunlight—looking positively foolish, I was sure—I looked around my room, no better reason than to just look at the hard work that went into my wall.

Because of my dead walrus impressions and my eyes being sent to hell and becoming aware of all the pain my body was in, I missed a few things. For instance: the light never hit me like that in the mornings, my bed was big and soft and comfortable like an angel's ass, there was never any weird, beeping noises that wouldn't stop or quiet down—

"Good morning, Bella," said Carlisle, smiling kindly, though the sadness in his wasn't hard to miss. "How are you feeling?"

And I definitely never woke up to seven vampires crowded in my room.

"My throat"-I paused for dramatic effect just to be an ass, sure he knew how I was feeling-"burns."

Carlisle chuckled quietly. "I can get you something for that."

"My head hurts, too!" I told him, wanting to make sure I got something for everything. "My eyes are feeling sore, but I think that's just from my small stint in hell. So, recap: sore throat, massive headache, and burning, itching arms that I can't get to. Can you handle all that, Dr. Cullen?"

He laughed again. "Yes. I promise you'll be feeling better in no time."

"Okay. Carlisle..."

"Yes, Bella?"

I whispered, "Why are there six other vampires in my hospital room?"

"To see you, of course," he whispered, amused.

I nodded. "Oh. I see. And why exactly am I in the hospital?"

I tried to think back on yesterday, but I couldn't remember anything; I was only pulling blanks. Literally. Whenever I thought of yesterday, I only saw blanks. I panicked.

"What's going on? Why can't I remember anything?"

Charlotte, who had been sitting on Peter's lap in an arm chair next to my bed, stood up and came over to me, taking my hand in hers. She looked sad, too, and worried, but more furious than anything, though I could tell she was trying to hold it together.

"You're not thinking back far enough, sweets," she said.

I frowned, rolling my eyes, the gesture not helping my hurting head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been here for two days."

_._

_._

_._

_._

I stayed in the hospital for another two days, having been put on suicide watch. Carlisle worked some magic, and I was soon allowed to go home, promises from everyone that they would keep their eyes on me. Emmet had practically moved in to uphold his promise, the concerned older brother that he was.

I hadn't seen Edward and Alice yet, but I was thankful for that. I knew if I did see her, I would do something stupid.

It hadn't taken me long to recall what had happened. I didn't struggle with the details, either. I remembered it all. I promptly kicked them all out after that, refusing to see them. I didn't want to talk about it. I already knew what they thought. Because Charlotte and Peter were my parents and Carlisle was my doctor, they got to stay.

I was, obviously, out of the hospital now, but I still wouldn't talk about. The only explanation I gave was to Angela, which was a half-lie excuse about why I was on watch. She didn't need to know the details. I could tell they wanted to talk, wanted to ask me some things, but they didn't. I figured they thought me too fragile and unstable and sensitive to.

After what happened, I didn't blame them.

School wasn't any better. Though no one knew why, everyone knew I was I'm the hospital, which made them all overly worried and entirely too concerned about me for my liking. I'd gotten dozens of roses and cards and condolences to last me three birthday's and a funeral.

What was worse was that I couldn't talk to Jasper. I mean, I could, but why would I? Apparently, it was talking to him that got me here the first place.

"I know it's none of my business..." Angela began.

In a mock-serious tone, I replied, "...then don't ask."

"But I couldn't help but notice that you and the Cullen's aren't...well, you're talking, but it's extremely tense," she finished.

I nodded. "Yep."

We paid for our lunch and walked toward our table, our conversation pausing as we walked past the Cullen clan, who happened to be here before us for a change, though I knew it was useless because they could hear us from anywhere in the cafeteria.

"Why?"

I scowled. "Take a wild guess."

"Um..." She frowned. "Does this have anything to do with why you were in the hospital?"

I nodded again. "Yep."

"You want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

Truth was, I did want to talk about it, and that was rare for me. I never wanted to talk about anything when it involved something from my past, but when I finally do, I can't because I already knew what they would say. What they were thinking. I wasn't stupid. I saw the looks of disgust on their faces. They liked me, but they loved Alice. They would—they _do_—believe her over me.

"Well if not to me, at least to them," insisted Angela. "Ignoring the problem and acting as if nothing is wrong isn't going to help anything, Bella. You talk to them, tell them what you need and want to, and then if they're not okay with you after that, you move on. I know it's easier said than done, but I believe it to be the right way."

It was, but I didn't want to hear that. I was perfectly happy living in ignorance.

Thankfully, Angela switched topics, and for the rest of lunch we talked about music, both agreeing that about half the artist out today need to retire already.

**~HTH~**

"Bella, can we talk?" Rosalie asked, following me out the school building.

I sighed and continued walking toward Peter's motorcycle, hoping that if I continued to pretend she wasn't there, she'd get the hint and leave me alone.

"I'm going to keep following you until you at least acknowledge my presence," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Hello, Rosalie. Nice day we're having today, huh?"

"It's 64 degrees outside and drizzling. Not really."

I'd hoped she wouldn't remind me of that.

If one thing was for certain, it was that I absolutely hated the rain and the cold.

"I don't want to talk about you!" she exclaimed as I climbed up onto the bike, clearly exasperated.

I rolled my eyes again. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Then what is it you want to talk about?"

"Me."

"You?"

"Me."

We stared at each other for what felt like hours, both of trying to access the other. I was trying to figure out if this was some sort of setup, and Rosalie, I guessed, was trying to guess my answer before I said anything.

"We're _only_ talking about you."

Rosalie nodded. "Promise. I was thinking we could go to your house..."

My eyes narrowed. "We're not doing anything if I get home and everyone is there waiting for me. If you're planning an ambush, it isn't..."

"I can assure you that's not what it is," she interrupted. "If that was the plan, I would've taken you back to my house. Your house is more private. I'd feel a lot more comfortable there then at my house, and I know you would, too."

_Curiosity killed the cat, Bella. Run while you still can,_ I thought to myself.

I couldn't help it. She'd said just enough to get me so curious that now there was no chance of me turning her down.

_Well played._

"Peter and Charlotte..."

"Aren't home," she informed me, smiling. "I was hoping you'd say yes."

I rolled my eyes and started up the bike, leaving the parking lot without waiting for her. On my way, I passed the other two—Emmett and Jasper—and I, just because it was how I'd been feeling, flipped them the bird, much to their shock.

Amusement, too. I was sure I saw Jasper crack a smile.

**~HTH~**

When I got home, I was both surprised and not to see Esme pacing on our porch. Surprised because I had actually believed Rosalie when she said I wasn't going to be ambushed, and not really surprised because I should have known.

"Bella, this isn't how it looks, I swear," Rosalie said when she pulled up next to me, quickly getting out of her car.

I removed my helmet and glared. "Are you kidding me?"

"Really, Bella, it isn't what you think. I'm the only one here," said Esme, walking over to us. "I wasn't going to come at first, but then I thought Rosalie and I could just tell you our stories together."

I got off the bike slowly, looking between the two of them, unsure. "Now I'm confused. Your stories?"

"Our stories," they confirmed together.

"Plus, I baked cookies."

I'm not ashamed to admit that that was all it took to get me to cooperate.

We went inside. After I got situated, Rosalie and Esme took their turns telling me all about their past. They told me why Carlisle had changed them.

Esme had tried to commit suicide. After years and years of abuse at the hand of her husband, she'd finally found something that brought her happiness: a baby. It was perfect. She and Emerson, the husband, had been trying for years, and it finally happened. When she miscarried, that was the final straw. Depressed, alone, and blamed for the death of her baby, she jumped off a cliff. Her heartbeat was so faint when they brought her in that Carlisle almost didn't hear it. Taking her away, Carlisle changed her, saving the woman he had met and fallen with many years prior. "Shakespeare would've loved us," she had said with a laugh, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

Rosalie had been gang raped by her fiancee, Royce King Jr., and his friends. She was coming home from a friend's house, they were drunk; she couldn't get away. When they were done with her, they'd left her in the middle of the road to die. Carlisle found her. He knew her, and he couldn't let her die, so he saved her. "I've come to terms with what I am. A vampire. I have a wonderful man who will be by my side for all of eternity, and I have a great family, but there are still days where I wish Carlisle would have let me died," she had confessed.

By the time they had finished, I wanted to cry, but I held it in. I knew why they were doing this.

"Believe us when we say we know how you are feeling, Bella," said Esme, softly taking my hands in hers and giving them a gentle squeeze. "We've been through it, too. We've struggled with those same feelings of humiliation and disgust and self-doubt and self-hate."

I was quick to deny that. "I..."

"It's all in your eyes, sweetheart," Rosalie told. The smile she gave me was small and sad, but understanding. "It's okay to feel that way, but I've learned it's not okay to let those particular feelings consume you. Especially when what happened isn't your fault. Talking helps. A lot. I know that's not what you want to hear, and I know it's not what you want to do, but it does. I promise you it does."

I was dangerously close to breaking down. I'd done it once already, another time wouldn't hurt, right?

_Crying about it won't change the past._

"Guilty," I mumbled, wipping at my eyes. "I feel extremely guilty. Did you guys feel that, too? Like what happened was all your fault?"

"Definitely," they answered together.

I nodded. "And you know it wasn't your fault?"

"It took some time, but we know it now," Esme said, exchanging a smile with Rosalie.

I wondered how it felt to not have the burden of ruining someone's life on their shoulders.

"Good. Unfortunately, it was my fault. All of it. It never should have happened." I stood up, shaking my head. I understood the message they were trying to convey, but it didn't make me feel better. It didn't help or change what I did. "I let it happen, and I never should have said anything about it. It was _my_ fault. Everything. I knew what I was doing, and I _didn't care_."

"Bella..."

"Please don't. Just...don't," I whispered, walking away from them.

It was times like those that I wished I had I _hadn't_ said anything. Everything would be okay. Nothing would hurt because I wouldn't be feeling a thing.

.

.

.

.

Charlotte had asked me if things were getting bad again, and I had told her I didn't know. If she asked me that again, the answer would be a definite yes, although I doubted I would actually give her that yes. I didn't want her to worry...

But things were bad again.

Waking up and getting out bed in the morning was more work than I wanted to put in. Talking to people took more effort than it was worth.

I didn't bother trying to even fake a smile.

I didn't bother to do anything. I couldn't wind myself up anymore.

"When she was at St. Elizabeth's, they didn't know what exactly to diagnose her with," I heard Charlotte say early Saturday morning, worry clear in her voice. "She was...Bella was just all over the place."

The next voice I heard was Peter's. He said, "You've gone to get your degree in everything medical. Both physical and mental and so on. We know you can help her."

"Technically, I can't treat her. I'm not allowed to treat family members," Carlisle murmured in reply.

There was a growl, and I didn't hear anything after that. When my door finally opened, I saw them, and Peter and Charlotte looked surprised. I knew this to be because they hadn't expected to find me awake. They thought I was sleeping. Carlisle looked as if he'd been through this a number of times.

"Hi, Bella," said Carlisle quietly.

I blinked and rolled over. I didn't know why I was feeling this way. Honestly, I didn't even know what I was feeling. I felt...I didn't know. Everything was all over the place, and I was exhausted, and I just wanted it all to end.

"What medication was she on, if any?" asked Carlisle.

Charlotte answered, "Lithium for..."

"Mania?"

"Yeah," Peter said.

"Anything else?"

"Zoloft," Charlotte told him. "But we aren't sure why they used that one. I don't think they were, either. They were just trying to get her under control, and..." She abruptly stopped talking, her breath hitching.

There was a moment of silence before Carlisle spoke again, saying, "Okay. If you don't mind, I'd like to take this time with Bella alone. Of course, you're always welcome to stay, but I feel that if you did, she wouldn't open up as much."

"You're asking us to leave the house." Peter didn't sound too happy about that.

"No. Just downstairs would be fine, too."

There was another moment of silence before I heard my room door close softly, and I knew they had left. Whether they went just downstairs or actually left the house, I didn't know, and Carlisle didn't bother to tell me.

He pulled up a chair in front of my bed, and we stared at each other for a while before he began to ask me a number of questions. Some of them I'd heard before, others I hadn't. Whenever I tried to skirt around one or lie, Carlisle, gentle yet very firmly, reminded me that avoidance and lying only made things worse. After getting tired of hearing him say that, I had no other choice _but_ to be truthful.

So when he asked, "Do you have thoughts of suicide?" I didn't hesitate in saying, "I just want it all to end."

Did that mean I was suicidal? I didn't know.

By the time all his questioning was over, it felt as if five hours had passed. In reality, it had only been two.

"Alright, Bella, there are three things I'm sure about based on your reactions and answers: GAD, which is Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I can assure you that you don't have to worry—no pun intended—too much about that. That will be the easiest to help you with, though it may not seem that way to you for a while. The next two are MDD and and PTSD, which are, respectively, Major Depressive Disorder and Post-traumatic stress disorder."

He paused. Was I supposed to respond to that?

"Contrary to what your parents seem to believe, I actually cannot help you with this. I know enough about mental illnesses to diagnose prescribe something, but I can't provide the actual treatment," Carlisle said, frowning at this. "However, I know someone who can. I trust her completely. I wouldn't go to her if I didn't. She's the best at what she does."

"Okay."

.

.

.

.

Why did everything bad happen on my birthday?

My parents died. I started my period in class. My boyfriend...My boyfriend hurt me. Now, I was in therapy being treated for a number of things.

At least, I was in therapy earlier. I'd been home for an hour and still hadn't said anything. Everyone was over, wanting to know how my session went, wanting to know if I was up for celebrating my birthday. They were ever curious about whether or not my therapy was working.

Therapy.

To be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I didn't enjoy talking about a lot of the things that were brought up, but I never felt crazy or stupid when I spoke like I had in the past. Carlisle was right. Dr. Currie—"It's Cue-rie or Q-rie. _Not_ Curry. I am not a type of chicken," she had said upon our first meeting—was great. I liked her a lot. She had perfect her craft in the mental health world.

She was also a vampire. If that wasn't the biggest shock of my life, nothing was. Carlisle had told me what she was the same day he first told me about her, but seeing her red eyes for the first time still surprised. I felt very uneasy the first hour with her.

Anyway, after two sessions, she put me on a combination of Prozac and Lithium. I'd agreed to try it, but after reading up on all the side effects and hearing stories from other people, I had my doubts and fears. I don't know how she did it, but Dr. Currie managed to perfect my dosage. Well, almost. I had plenty of ups and downs, but two weeks in, and I was feeling good. Three weeks in, I was practically back to "normal." Instead of seeing her every day now, I was seeing her only three times a week.

What I liked most about her was that she was located in the heart of Seattle. Whenever I had to go up there, my parents walked downtown, and it was just Dr. Currie and I. I didn't have to worry about any vampires "accidentally" overhearing. She was my safe place. By the fifth session, I could tell her almost anything. That's how good she was.

Around my eighth visit with her, she started giving me little assignments. My first one was to talk to my parents about how I felt about everything that had happened and to decide whether or not I wanted to continue seeing her. My third one was to talk to Rosalie and Esme again, talk to them about things my parents wouldn't be able to fully understand.

Today's assignment? Tell someone.

"Happy Birthday, Bella," they all said when I got home.

A moment of uncomfortable silence followed. I realized they were waiting for me to say something.

"Thanks. The big one-seven today," I said.

Emmett grinned. "I'm sure your mother can teach you all about being seventeen, what with her being permanently seventeen."

Charlotted scowled. She hated to be reminded of her human age, but because of time, war, and always being wiser and smarter beyond her years, you wouldn't know she was—physically—seventeen. Her body being well-matured helped, too.

I walked into the house, having been stopped outside, and looked around curiously. I spotted a few gifts, shook them lightly to take a guess, and sighed in disappointment. I liked them, but they weren't what I wanted at that moment.

_He's probably with Alice, _I thought. _Of course he is. That's his wife. _

Why did that not make me feel better?

"Jasper had to run some errands. He'll be here soon," Esme stated casually, bringing in _more_ gifts.

My cheeks warmed. I didn't like being called out that way. "Oh. I..."

She smiled, winked, and then walked out, probably to the kitchen to help Charlotte with the last of my birthday dinner. It smelled really good.

"So, it's been a few weeks. Despite what you all may think, I will have to see Alice again at some point," I said when everyone shuffled in to the living room. "So where is she? Why is Edward with her?"

Carlisle answered, "She is with some cousins of ours up in Denali. Edward went because..."

"He's the only one who can stand to be around her and vice versa," interrupted Rosalie.

I smiled. We had gotten extremely close in the last few weeks. As it turned out, we actually had a lot in common, and it wasn't just douchey boyfriends, either.

"When is she coming back?" I asked.

Emmett grunted. "Hopefully never."

The two of us had talked a lot, too. He talked to me a lot about his sisters, told me of how I reminded him of her. He mentioned that she been bullied and tormented by both girls and boys so bad that he and his family had to move. Those were not good memories for him. In his opinion, though Alice was his sister also and he loved her dearly, her actions were unforgivable.

I briefly considered talking to him about James, but I realized I had a particular person in mind and decided against it.

"Anyway. Bella, I have something for you," Esme said, coming to stand in front of me with a little rectangle box in her hand.

"Hey!" both Emmett and Carlisle complained, though they had big smiles on their faces.

Esme chuckled. "It's from all of us."

"I thought you didn't want me to open anything until after I ate?" I questioned Charlotte, taking the box in my hands. I turned it over curiously, not bothering to shake it. I knew it had to be something fragile. "Or is this one special?"

Before any of them could say anything, Jasper came walking in, smiling. "Yeah. It's pretty special. Hi, Bella."

"Hi, Jasper."

I felt extremely calm and at peace all of a sudden. Happy. I didn't know if he was doing it on purpose, but I knew it was because of him. I hadn't talked to him in so long. It felt like I hadn't seen him in years. I couldn't keep the grin off my face even if I wanted to.

He was the one I wanted to talk to.

"Happy Birthday," he said.

I smiled and found myself blushing again. "Thanks."

He returned my smile, and we stayed like that for a while, staring like idiots.

That was the moment I decided it was time.

With that thought in mind, before I could lose my nerve, I jumped up from the couch I was sitting on and asked him, "You still want to get to know me?"

"I don't know...I'm kind of scared now. That was very...excited," was his teasing reply.

I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Yes or no, Jasper?"

"I'm surprised you even felt you had to ask."

I smiled and, feeling he'd be okay with it, took his hand and quickly led him up the stairs, stopping at an extra room at the end of the hall. The room remained locked at all times. It held all my things.

"Can you grab that key up there for me?" I asked him, pointing at the top of the door.

He reached up and did as I asked, getting the key off the door's seal and handing it to me. "Are you sure you're allowed in here if the door is locked?"

"Do you want me to start talking to you again or are you going to continue to question me?"

Jasper smirked. "I think we're way past talking to each other again," he said as he raised our still intwined hands.

"Oh, shut up!" I mumbled, taking my hand away from his.

I unlocked the door, and he walked in. I stayed in the doorway, looking around. It was the second biggest room in the house, and it was filled wall-to-wall with bookshelf after bookshelf. There were also a couple of DVD cases, filled to the rim with movies. The available spaces on the wall were covered in maps and photographs both taken by me and from the Internet. A bean bag, black lounge chair and flat screen screen TV were also in the room. An X-box, Wii and their games were inside the TV stand. Peter was a big gamer.

Jasper let out a low whistle. "Nice set up."

"Yeah."

I walked into the room, too, and closed the door behind me. I took a deep breath. Naturally, and rightfully so, my heartbeat had sped up, and my fight or flight instincts kicked in. I knew Jasper wouldn't hurt me, but I also know who he used to be—_what_ he used to be—so it wasn't out of place that I felt a little nervous—scared, even—when left alone with him. Contrary to what people might have believed, I did, in fact, have a sense of self-preservation.

However, Jasper smiled, and it all washed away—my worries, not my preservation.

"Your taste is very impressive," he said, looking my stacks of CDs that sat atop one of my shorter bookshelves. "How are they set Up?"

I laid on the lounge chair on my stomach, my chin resting on my closed fists, and watched him walk around. It was easy to see why Alice wanted him so badly, why she went to such personal extremes. Physically, Jasper was perfect, even for a vampire. He was so handsome, with his honey-gold eyes and perfectly straight nose and cocky little smirk that sometimes played on his lips. He was tall and well-built, too. Not big like Emmett, but not as lean as Peter, either. Just right. His white thermal strained slightly against his biceps, tightening just a bit around his core and giving a little tease at what was underneath, while his straight, dark jeans hung loosely around his hips, the hem of them tucked into his combat boots.

Jasper was fucking gorgeous. I'd want to keep other girls away from him, too.

"Um..." It took me a moment to remember what he had asked. "Alphabetically, obviously, and then my favorite artist in that letter. From there, it's whichever came out first."

He smirked at me as if he knew what I was thinking before nodding, pulling out a few CDs. "I've heard of them."

He'd picked up three albums from Bring Me The Horizon, Pierce The Veil and Mariana's Trench.

"Good bands," I said.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm really getting into that Bring The Horizon bad."

I rolled my eyes, laughing quietly. "You say that as if you're really old! Jasper, you're only..."

"166 years old..." He trailed off, looking over my books, then.

"Not even old enough to be my dad," I joked.

We sat in silence for the most part for the next thirty minutes, only speaking every now and then. I was losing my courage. I couldn't do it. He wouldn't be okay with it, and I couldn't handle it of he walked out on me, and—

"...are you all right, Bella?"

I looked up at him, nodding slowly.

"When I was 14," I began, "I met James."

James was 16 when we first met. I explained to Jasper that my world quickly became about him. I was a new girl, and he was popular and older and "just so cute"—how could I not become, for lack of a better word, obsessed with him? Anyway, I had told him, people had started to talk. Eventually, we admitted to dating and things went downhill from there. James turned out to be grade A jerk. We were constantly fighting, and he was always talking down to me, and I should have left him, but I'd convinced myself that I loved him and vice versa.

Skipping a few things, I told him how losing my virginity to James was the worst possible thing I could have done. It made me clingier. It made me love him more; it made it that much harder to see just how bad for me he was. The drugs probably should have done that, though. And the hitting and name-calling and all the fits he threw when I didn't have sex with him.

"How could you stay through all that?" asked Jasper.

I couldn't really tell what he was feeling, but he only sounded curious, so I shrugged and answered, "I was 15, and I was in love! I was just growing into my body and discovering my sexuality. He was the first to show me attention. The first to anything me. I just didn't want to give that up, I guess."

Sex, drugs, alcohol, abuse and self-hatred, I told Jasper. That was what my life was. Doing whatever it took to make me numb to it all.

"It was really easy to hide it all from my parents, at first. I knew enough about vampires to know what not to do to tip them off," I said. "I got cocky, though, much too comfortable. That made me reckless and careless."

"When did the self-harming start?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I can't remember the date, time, or where, but I remember the first time like it was yesterday. How...how shocked I was to find that I liked the pain, that I liked the blood spilling out of me. It made me feel pure again."

Jasper went to say something else, but I didn't let him. I had to finish.

Skipping over unimportant stuff again, I finally mentioned Brad, James' older brother by five years. The two of them were inseparable. They did just about everything together. Brad was a huge flirt, and there had been rumors that the two of them were abnormally close.

"I didn't think anything of it at first...just that they were really, close you know?" I said. "Kind of like you and Peter."

Jasper scowled. "I'd rather not be compared to them."

"That's not...sorry." I sighed.

I didn't mind Brad's flirting, I didn't really care about his intrusions at the worst possible times. He said there were an accident, and I believed it until I was asked to threesome.

"No shit?" questioned Jasper, frowning a little.

I shook my head. "No...and I said yes."

Jasper's face was once again free of feeling, and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. I didn't think I made myself clear to him. Year 15 was a bad one for me. I was drugged up most of the time, drinking a lot, doing anything I could to jus the...numb, for lack of a better word. I was being controlled by the guy I thought loved me. He was...he was very active, and he wanted me to be, too.

"So what you're saying is that you've slept with other people besides James?"

I nodded.

"I see."

He saw? What the hell did that mean?

"Anyway," I said, sitting up and pulling my knees to my chest. "I was okay with it at first, but around that time, Peter and Charlotte knew everything, so they were constantly on me..."

Jasper cut me off with, "As they should have been from the beginning."

I scowled. I didn't like his scolding tone. Peter and Charlotte did they best they could for people that had parenthood thrust upon them one random night. They were just getting used to taking care of young Bella; teenage Bella was a whole 'nother nightmare. Plus, once you knew enough about vampires, it wasn't hard to get around them.

"They were constantly on me to just be up front and honest because they were my parents and they wanted to help and they would never judge, but something was still holding me back," I continued as if he hadn't interrupted. "I knew it was James. Even though I wouldn't actually admit out loud to myself, I knew if I told them about him, about what we were doing, what he wanted me to do, they'd freak the fuck out."

"Rightfully so," Jasper agreed.

I rolled my eyes, closed them, and took a deep breath. It was time for me to get to the point. After telling Jasper about how I eventually said no to James and his brother and how James and I "straightened up," I said, "They were okay with all the little changes I was making up. Upset at first, but okay. But then on my sixteenth birthday..."

"This was only a year ago," said Jasper, mostly to himself than to me. The news of this looked to shock him greatly. "More recent than I thought it was..."

"Yeah. James said he wanted to give me a 'special' gift. He took me hiking, and I thought it was the greatest thing. I loved doing anything that involved being active. Exercising was important to me. I just loved moving around. So, naturally, I didn't question this gift. I'm not sure how long we spent walking up that mountain. Time was lost to me after the first five minutes. I was feeling dizzy and sick, and I had the biggest migraine of my life, but I kept going because I wanted to see the top.

I'm not really sure what happened between me starting to feel sick to us being at the top of the mountain. Everything is blank. I just know that I woke up, and I couldn't move. I mean, I probably could have, but just thinking about moving was so exhausting, and everything was just heavy. I felt like dead weight.

James and Brad were standing above me. They were talking, and then they were on me. My clothes were coming off quickly. I knew what was happening. I think I may have started crying. I think I may have asked them to stop, too, but I can't remember. If I did say it, they clearly didn't hear me."

"Clearly."

I opened my eyes for a moment to see that his eyes had darkened immensely.

"I can remember the pain. That's not lost to me. It hurt. It hurt very bad, and I know I had to start begging them to stop at some point, right? I didn't...I didn't enjoy it. No matter what they said, I didn't enjoy it," I mumbled, mostly to myself now.

I could remember some of the words they said to me, too. At one point, they told me I liked it. That my body was "responding correctly."

My eyes snapped open again as doubt began to creep in. Were they right? Did I respond normally? Was I just put out because it didn't happen in an ideal place? "Oh, God." My breathing was starting to pick up as I thought back to that day. I tried to remember every detail, but it was hard. The more I thought about it, the more I forgot. "I can't remember. I...They said, they said I..."

"I don't think anyone enjoys being raped, Bella," Jasper said.

I think I stopped breathing.

Rape.

That was what it was. Not saying the word didn't change that.

I laughed humorlessly, the bitterness not lost on either of us. "Happy Birthday to me, huh?"

"Peter didn't go into detail, but he told me that the damage...the damage was really bad," Jasper murmured quietly. He stood up and walked over to me, slowly, and sat down beside me, though he kept some space between us. "I was also informed that Brad was a cop."

"He really upheld his end of the swear, didn't he?"

Jasper and I, unable to help ourselves, both snorted at that.

"He made that file that Alice had," I explained, though I was sure he already knew that. "It was their cover up. Tried to have me arrested for false claims!"

"Lucky for you, Peter happens to be a kick ass lawyer."

I cracked a smile. "A fake one, but a good one nonetheless."

I felt strangely at peace with myself now that I'd finally told someone what happened. It wasn't everything, no one could make me go into details that even I wish I didn't know, but it was the important things.

"Are you going to run away from me now?"

I'd never seen anyone so upset or confused in my life.

"Why would you ask me that?"

I scowled. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I ruined the lives of two guys?"

"How in the hell did you ruin _their_ lives?" Jasper asked.

"How do you think, Jasper? I put the idea in their head that it was okay! I said yes! I told them I would do it, and when they did it, I cried...I cried rape! And now they're in jail for the next five years. They will never get this off their records. How could I do that?"

Jasper shook his head. "Bella..."

"I'm...it's all my fault. I..."

At some point, I'd stood up and started pacing. The pacing abruptly stopped when Jasper appeared in front of me. I jumped back, and he grabbed hold of my hand before I could fall. I went to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let me go.

"Bella, it doesn't matter if you said yes. It doesn't matter if you went and reassured them a few times. If you said no, then it's not supposed to happen. I don't care if they had in their heads for weeks that it was going to happen. You said no, they did not listen, and they only got about a _fifth_ of what they deserve."

I looked down, unable to look him in the eye anymore.

Everyone kept saying that. It wasn't my fault. I didn't deserve it. They're monsters, and they deserve a lot more. I didn't ask for it. It wasn't my fault. I didn't deserve it, and round and round they went.

Why was I the only one that couldn't believe it?

"Hey, look at me, please?"

When I refused, he placed his fingers under my chin, his thumb above it, and gently lifted my head up. Although his smile was pretty sad, it was encouraging.

"I don't have experience with this, but I know one day you _will_ be okay," he said softly, so softly that I almost didn't hear him.

I sighed. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I'm kind of related to three women who are in the same boat as you in a way."

I frowned. I knew about Esme and Rosalie, but I didn't know about Alice.

"Charlotte," he said before I could respond.

"What?" I said in disbelief, pulling away from him forcefully, then. "What are you talking about? Why..."

"Peter made sure no one ever got to her, but she had to deal with the same kind of guys back at the camp, Bella," Jasper explained. "Are time back in the south was rough. We were dealing with so much shit, especially the women."

I'd never thought of that. I knew their time there was bad—horrible, really. Bad didn't begin to cover it—but it never crossed my mind that it was like _that_ for Charlotte.

"Right now, those three women are downstairs, okay. They still have their days, I know, but they're okay. They're happy. I know you will be, too," he said.

I rolled my eyes, not even trying to fight the smile that was threatening to overtake my whole face. "Who knew the big bad Major of the South was so...sentimental."

"Crazy, right?" He laughed.

We spent the next few minutes smiling like idiots at each other. It was the first time we were able to do it without being interrupted.

I wish I could put a name behind the emotions I was feeling at that moment, but I couldn't. There were so many, all running through me and intensifying the longer I looked into Jasper's eyes. It sounded so cheesy, but it was true. Jasper made me feel...different.

"So, all these books," he said. "There's got to be over 200. Have you read them all?"

I nodded. "Yep. Everyone last one of them at least twice."

"Why?"

"Why did I read them twice?" I asked, eyebrows raising in confusion. "Because I liked them, and I wanted to read them again. Most of them were read more than two times, though."

"No, I mean, why did you read them all?"

I shrugged. "I like to read. Reading makes me feel...reading takes me to a whole 'nother place. I get to be someone else for a day or two, however long it takes me to read the book. Usually one. Anyway, I like to read, so I got them...and I read them."

"Of course, I should have known," Jasper replied, grinning. "Okay. Two favorite series, three favorite authors. Right now."

I returned his grin. "Harry Potter, Alex Cross. John Green, J.R.R Tolkien, and Jane Austen."

Jasper nodded, looking over my books again. "Give me some favorite books."

"Hmm. _The Scarlett Letter,_ _Wuthering Heights_, _Sherley_, and _Lolita_. There's also _Looking For Alaska_ and _The Fault in Our Stars_, _Lucas_ and _How to Build A House_," I named off. He was testing me, I knew, to see if I actually knew all the books in my collection. Let's not forget _Les Miserables_, _The Other Boleyn Girl_, _A Lesson In Vengeance_, _Bel Ami_, _Moby Dick, Gone With The Wind,_ _The Perks of Being A Wallflower,_ _The Book Thief,_ _The Catcher in the Rye_. Do I need to keep going?"

Jasper laughed. "Very impressive. How long did it take you to read them?"

"Not long, actually. Reading is what I do. A day, usually. The longest has been three." I shrugged. "I don't mean to brag, but I'm a pretty fast reader."

Jasper smirked. "I bet I'm faster."

"Mmhm." I rolled my eyes, chuckling.

He picked up Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, flipping through the pages. "I've never read these. I've never seen the movies. I've never understood people's obsession with this. It's clear that it's all a bunch of rubbish."

"Excuse you?" My eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "You take that back!"

Jasper groaned, hanging his head before giving a little chuckle. "Of course you're a die hard Harry Potter fan! Jesus Christ. First Fall Out Boy is coming back and now this?"

"First, F-O-B _are_ coming back, thankyouverymuch," I snapped. "Second, how dare you."

He rolled his eyes. "Bella..."

"No. No, you know what? I don't want to hear any more about this!" I cut him off. "Until you have read each book, then, and _only_ then, can you give me an opinion on it. Otherwise, your opinion is pointless."

"But I don't..."

"You're going to read them, and you're going to love them, okay?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mistress."

"Good boy," I teased.

We talked for a long time after that, and I realized I had never felt so free in my life. September had been something akin to hell, 15 through 16 _was_ hell, and it was _so easy_ for me to fall a part; I was fragile, but I was free.

—_**Midnight **—_

Jasper and I eventually made our way back downstairs, where I almost had the life hugged out of me by everyone waiting on us. Since everything was out in the open, my past was never brought up again, and the rest of my birthday went by without another hitch. It wasn't until around midnight that I finally got to my presents.

The gift Esme had given to me was a beautiful, silver charm bracelet. My first charm was the Cullen crest, and I _almost_ started crying. Carlisle said they'd had it ready for weeks. Apparently, I had been accepted into their family while I was off thinking they would leave. My second charm was, of course, a swan. My third charm, the one I loved the most, was a beautiful "W," made just the way Peter and Charlotte signed their last name.

It was the Whitlock signature "W," and Jasper had given it to me. _That_ got a tear, but I wiped it away quickly.

I got a few more bracelets and a necklace from Rosalie that matched, while Emmett got me hoop earrings to go with it all.

My gifts from Esme and Carlisle consisted of all Apple products: an iPhone 4, a Macbook pro—colored a pretty, light yellow for me—and an iPad mini.

Jasper bought me 200 dollars worth of iTunes gift cards.

Peter and Charlotte bought me: a _The Hunger Games_ box set, a 500 dollar gift card to Barnes & Noble, some DVDs_—_a few of them being_ Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind, Blue Valentine and Sense and Sensibility_—new clothes—the two of them combined could beat my style any day—two new pairs of converse, and some things for my hair.

Clearly, I made out quite well.

"Bella, there's one more thing," Esme murmured, getting glares from everyone but her mate. "Now, you don't have to open it, and I understand if you don't, but I wanted to give it to you anyway. Unlike them"-it was her turn to give them glares-"I wanted you to decide what happened with it."

Before I could ask her what she was talking about, she suddenly had a pink envelope in her hands, addressed to me.

"She wanted you to have it."

My parents didn't look all that thrilled when she handed me the pink envelope, and I didn't have to be a genius to figure out who it was from.

"Alice," I mumbled, flipping the envelope over in my hands a few times. I was curious about it, but there was a chance that it could ruin my night, so I opted to save it. "I'll read it another time. Thank you, Esme."

Esme nodded, and we moved on, Carlisle soon announcing that they should probably get going.

"Oh. Yeah, we'll walk you out," Peter offered, pulling Charlotte and I up with him when he stood.

I frowned and shook my head. It was an exhausting day, both physically and emotionally, and I honestly just wanted to go to bed.

"Daaad," I whined. "I just want to go to bed."

Peter rolled his eyes. "You might as well come. Your mother says you have to take a shower anyway."

"Do I have to?" I groaned.

"Yes," she said/

"UUghahhehhhooah" was the defeated noise that left my mouth. "Fine, fine."

Emmett raised an eyebrow at me. "I thought humans liked to take showers?"

"Not when they're tired beyond reason and just want to go to sleep!" I exclaimed, walking toward the front door and exiting the house. I froze. "Um...what is that?"

In the garage, Charlotte's Range Rover and Peter's motorcycle were parked. On the side of the street, Carlisle parked his Mercedes, and Emmett parked his jeep. In the driveway, Peter's Caddilac sat parked next to a 2013 R/T Classic Dodge Challenger—

"THAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED. MOTHER OF GOD, WHOSE IS IT?" I asked in a shrieking tone.

There were laughs all around.

"It's yours," Peter said.

I shook my head. "I don't believe you."

"Bella." Charlotte laughed. "It's really yours."

I looked around at the others, and they were nodding their heads, small, encouraging smiles on their faces.

"Who do I have to thank?" I asked my parents, looking between the two of them.

"Well, daddy paid for the car," Charlotte said.

"But it was your mother that suggested it and ultimately made the decision..."

"So both of you!" I exclaimed, throwing an arm around each other their waists and pulling them closer to me.

I knew at some point I would be getting a car, but I didn't think I'd be getting one so soon. I remembered Peter telling me I needed to graduate from high school before they even _considered_ buying one.

"You two are honestly the best, I love you both so much," I muttered into Peter's chest.

_There's something in the water here. I'm turning into a hugger,_ I thought to myself, though it didn't bother me as much as I figured it would have.

**~HTH~**

After all the goodbyes were said, and all the hugs were given, Peter, Charlotte, and I finally made our way back into the house. I took my things to my room, leaving Alice's card on my nightstand to read later, and grabbed my things to get in the shower. When I got back downstairs, my parents were cuddled up to each other on the couch as Peter searched for something to watch on TV.

"Today was...really, really great," I said. A warm blush took over colored my cheeks, and I looked away from them for a moment, biting softly on my lower lip. I wasn't so much embarrassed as I was...appreciative and full of warm and fuzzy feelings. "One of the best birthday's I've had so far."

"Technically, seeing as how it's one in the morning, it was yesterday," Peter pointed out.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and smacked his chest lightly. "Don't be a jerk."

"Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you. I mean it. Even if I didn't get all of the amazing things that I got, today still would have been fun." I smiled. Remembering dinner, I grinned. "Mom...wow. You were really serious about that dinner, about wanting it to be good. I can honestly say that that was fucking perfection."

They smiled. "You're welcome."

"Esme has been helping me these last few weeks. She refused to help me today, though, so I'm just glad it came out all right," Charlotte said, grinning.

"It was perfection," I told her. It was a simple dish of lasagna, but it was the best lasagna I had ever had. Seriously.

"We're glad you had a nice birthday, sugar," Peter told me.

I nodded. "Yep. Me too.

There was a pause.

"I think I'm just going to go up and go to sleep now."

I didn't move.

"Just say what's on your mind, B," Peter said.

I hesitated, not really sure _what_ I wanted to say.

"Is this about what Jasper told you?" Charlotte asked curiously.

I nodded. "Yeah. I just...I feel like I've been so selfish, constantly worried about myself and my problems. I've never bothered to ask if you were okay, either of you. You've both been through so much, too, much more than me, and I..."

"Hey. It's okay," Charlotte said, standing up from the couch and coming over to give me another hug. "I'm okay. Your dad's okay, and you're okay. Everything is...really, really great."

I laughed and hugged her tighter.

Things were too good to be true.


	13. Chapter 13: Waxing, Dating, and

_**Highway to Hell**_

_**DC: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANYTHING DEALING WITH THE SAGA; IT ALL BELONGS TO THE AWESOME STEPHANIE MAYER.**_

_Chapter 13: _

* * *

"_You ungrateful bitch," _he yelled, I was running in the forest again—this time it was daylight but I couldn't see any better than when it was dark because of the glare in my eyes from the sun, _"get back here! I command that you stop this instant!"_

_"No!" _I yelled, for some reason feeling brave today. I turned my head to the right, not stopping my run, and looked into the warm, familiar honey eyes.  
_"Keep running," _she breathed out, smiling at me softly.

"_ISABELLA!"_ I turned my head back in front of me, and gasped. He was in front of me but I couldn't make out his face yet.  
I tried slowing down but it was too late, I was already crashing into his awaiting arms…

"BELLA," someone yelled.

I sat up quickly, my right hand flying to my heart, breathing heavy. "I'd had another nightmare and for a second I thought this one was going to turn out different, I was going to win. But I didn't…," I finally opened and my eyes and sighed.

"Its okay, the ones who deserve to always win in the end," she told me, running her cool hand against my sweaty, hair-matted, forehead.

I smiled at her, "thanks Rosalie."  
I looked over at my clock and saw it was 12:30 and with another sigh pushed my covers off me and got out of bed, "we can start out day after I take a shower," I said, getting a whiff of myself and screwing up my face. I always ended up terrified in my nightmares and they never left me smelling the freshest.

Rose laughed, "Alright. I'll be in here and we can get started on removing any unwanted hair."

"Awesome," I answered, grabbing some sweatpants and a wife-beater.

—**Shower—**

"Caught in a maze I can't find my way back  
but I'm trippin' I love how, you do me like that  
a week is so long I don't know how to act

Promise me when I see you—you do me like that," I sang one of my favorite JoJo songs as I washed my hair—the hair on my head.

"Many say they want it but I waited for you  
its you that I adore, for real  
you want to know the truth?  
Cause I adore what you do," I hit the high note perfectly, and fist pumped my success.

I rinsed my hair quickly and got out of the shower. Quickly drying off I ran to my room, and saw Rosalie had set everything up for me already. "Sweet," I yelled, not able to contain my excitement and glee and finally being able to get this hair off my body!

Rosalie laughed, "Alright, you lay on the towel on the bed and we can get started and be done in about…30 minutes? That is, if you don't mind a little pain," she said, showing me with her forefinger and thumb how little the pain would be.

"Whatever, let's just do this," I said, hoping onto my bed.

* * *

It was 1:35 when we finished and I am not ashamed to say I had tears welling up in my eyes, "waah," I whined softly.

Rose chuckled, "you did good Bella, no crying just a few tears; simply lemonade is waiting downstairs as an award for you," she told me," Bella! You need to get dressed first," she scolded me when I walked to the door.

I looked down at my hairless, naked body and giggled, "I forgot I was naked.

I threw on a white long-sleeved t-shirt and then threw a black tank top over it, pulled on some red skinny-jeans, my black converse, and threw my hair into a big bun, putting my big flower headband on it to top it off _**(A/N: See Snooki in the new season of Jersey Shore**_ _**to see Bella's hairstyle.)**_

"So where is everybody?" I asked as we made our way downstairs.

"In the kitchen," Rose replied.

My eyes widened, "this whole time? Damn, that means they heard me scream while you waxed my snatch…" I trailed off, "that sounded very wrong and I will never repeat it again."

Rosalie giggled and locked arms with me as we entered the kitchen, where everyone was sitting around just talking, or in Alice's case listening to her iPod in the corner. "She didn't want to be by herself and Esme thought it'd be nice if everyone could be together, despite some things that went on last night and earlier this morning," Charlotte answered my confused gaze.

I nodded and poured myself a glass of strawberry simply lemonade, "so what's on the agenda today?"

Everyone looked at each other before shrugging, but it was Carlisle who eventually answered, "Why don't we go on a family trip? An amusement park or something," he suggested.

"I'm down," Jasper, Emmett, Peter, Rosalie, and I all answered at the same time.

Charlotte sighed, "fine, but when I'm ready to leave Peter, we. Are. Leaving," Charlotte told him seriously, remembering the last time we went to an amusement park in Texas and Peter threw a fit, not ready to leave yet though the park would be closing in forty minutes.

Peter grinned, his whole face lighting up, "I promise!"

* * *

—**Edward's POV—**

"I'd rather not," I told Bella, who'd been trying to convince me to get on a roller coaster called 'Superman' for the last five minutes now.  
We drove two hours to Oregon to go to six flags, lucky that it'd been an overcast day, and had been here for a good two hours so far, "I refuse to."

I was putting on the 'prudish—boy' act and in the next second will be 'caving' making Bella think she got her way, when really, it will be me having _my_ way.  
"Please, Edward? We've been here for two hours and you haven't gotten on any ride except for the kiddy tea-cups. Do this for me and I'll owe you, one," she turned her chocolate brown eyes on me and gave me the best puppy dog face I'd ever seen.  
If I weren't already planning on caving I would have just because of how cute she is.

"Fine—but you owe me," I said playfully, though I was very serious.

"Of course," Bella laughed, locking her left arm with my right, "Edward and I are going to get on the Superman ride, we'll meet up with you all soon," Bella told the group.

"Cool," they all mumbled, engrossed in the park map they were all looking at.

When we got in line Bella pushed me up against the rails and wrapped her arms around my stomach, laying her head on my chest, "my head hurts," she sighed.

Getting over my shock, I wrapped my arms around her waist, "then we obviously don't need to get on this ride. We can get on it later when you're feeling better," I offered.

Bella nodded, "sounds good. I'm hungry and I want a big cup of water before I get my big cup of soda," she said in a small voice.  
I laughed and without letting go of our positions we walked to the nearest place which just happened to be a pizza joint—Bella's favorite.

"Two slices of plain cheese pizza, large water and a large coke no ice, please," she requested, smiling at me as she sat down on one of the picnic tables."

I laughed and nodded, "no problem."

I ordered her food and waited until she took a bite of her slice of pizza to ask, "How do you feel about dating?"

Bella's head snapped up to meet mine as she took a bite of her pizza, her eyes wide as she chewed. When she swallowed she had to take a sip of her drink before choking out, "what?"

"Dating; how do you feel about dating?"

"Just dating in general?" She asked and I nodded, "I haven't really thought it about since, you know, my first boyfriend…" she trailed off.

"Would you ever consider dating again?" I asked, leaning in just a bit closer, resting my chin on my fist.

She shrugged, "I-yes, I-I've thought about it I just never pictured me actually doing it again," she said, raising an eyebrow.

I took a deep breath, radiating fake nervousness, "B-Bella, will you go on a date with me?"

Her breathing hitched, and she took another sip of her soda before nodding her head, "okay. Okay, I trust you—I'll go out with you," she said, smiling softly.

"Phew, I thought you were going to be difficult," I playfully threw a French fry that I bought for show, at her.

Bella giggled, "I like this playful, joking side of you, Edward. Keep this up and I may make you my boyfriend," she said seriously.

I smiled, "count on it."

We talked for awhile longer and when I checked my watch I realized that little while longer was a whole two hours. I took my phone out of my pocket and turned it on, seeing I had six missed phone calls and 22 text messages, all asking where the hell we are and to meet at the car.

I chuckled, "We better go, everyone's worried," I said.

I stood up and Bella followed, grabbing my hand in hers, "we're about to go on a date soon, holding hands is appropriate, right?"

"Yes," I answered, "but I liked this better," I let go of her hand and stood behind her, putting both my hands around her waist and she followed by putting her hands on mine, "this okay?" I asked softly in her ear.

"I like it," she whispered.

We began walking back to the car that way, laughing and talking and I couldn't wait to see the look on Jasper's face when he realizes I just bagged his 'mate.'


	14. Chapter 14: Part II

**_Highway to Hell_**

_A/n: It's two days late, I know, but this time I have a pretty legit excuse: I was working on my other story and it took me all week to get it written. Literally!  
And thank you to all the amazing people who reviewed the last chapter and sent me amazing, encouraging, emails for Chapter 14's information update. It meant the world to me :)._

_NOTE: This is Japer's POV._

_**DC: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANYTHING DEALING WITH THE SAGA. THANK STEPHANIE MEYER FOR THAT!**_

_Chapter 14: Waxing, Dating, and Stealing Mates __**(Part II)**_

* * *

**Cullen Mansion**

When we got home no one said anything because really, what was there to say? We got out of the car and Rosalie came over to me, wrapping her arm around mine instead of taking Emmett's outstretched hand and I knew this was her silent way of telling him that she was still pissed.  
Emmett frowned at that but his emotions only showed acceptance; he understood why his mate was mad and why she didn't want to talk to him. Because of that, I know Rosalie's going to talk to him about everything going through her head tonight just by all the love that swelled up in her when Emmett walked away, but not before smiling at her.

Carlisle's Mercedes pulled up next and Edward, Carlisle, Esme, and an armless Alice all got out of the car, as silent at us. "Here," Carlisle handed me Alice's arms, "you ripped them off so you put them back on," he told me, giving me a look that left no room for arguing.  
I nodded my head and accepted my task without a fight because really, Carlisle and Esme don't need any more disappointment in their hearts at the moment.

We walked into the house silently, Rosalie still on my arm, and I turned to face Alice, "go sit on the couch." She nodded with no argument and went over to the couch. I unhooked my arm from Rosalie's and kissed the top of her head, "go talk to Emmett," I told her softly. She smiled at me and headed up the stairs to their room.

"What?" I asked when I caught Edward staring at me from the stairs.  
He tilted his head to side slightly in pure curiosity, "do you really not feel guilty about what you did to Alice?"

"No," I said plainly, because I don't. She deserved what she got and once she stops soaking in her own depression she'll realize that. Edward walked upstairs then, in disbelief at my lack guilt for ripping Alice's arms off, and I walked over to Alice, throwing her arms on the ground in front of her.

"I know you don't want to do this, and you're not doing it for me, but thanks," Alice whispered, her head hanging down like it had been since I ripped her arms off.

"You're welcome," I responded, seeing as how she seemed genuine I figured that I could at least say that.  
I still bring myself to feel sorry for her, though. She accused Bella of lying, reopened up still fresh wounds for all three of them, plus made Esme feel bad. Personally, I didn't want to forgive her; at least, not until all of the women forgave her first.

With a sigh, I licked around the end of her arm and then stuck it onto her nub, getting a loud hiss to leave her mouth, "you'll eventually get used to it if it happens enough," I told her, pushing it harder to make sure it stuck, and then held it for a few more seconds.

"I'm sorry; would you like me to pretend like it doesn't hurt?" She asked sarcastically, knowing what the point of that comment was.

"Precisely," I said.

Alice rolled her eyes as I went to pick up her other arm, "Again, I'm sorry; we can't all master pain."

It was my turn to roll my eyes, "of course we can; I'll take it easy on you, though, and rip you apart twice a day weekly, instead of daily, and you should get the hang of it in about a month," I told her.  
I licked her other arm, this time putting more venom on it than the last, "but first, lesson one: the more venom, the more pain." I stuck her arm to her roughly, pushing it as hard as I could without ripping off her nub, too.

Alice let out a high pitched scream one second, and the next the entire family was downstairs, "I knew, somewhere in the back of my mind, that it was a bad idea to ask you to do this," Carlisle sighed.

I shrugged, "we were having a discussion."

Carlisle glared at me, "let's not have that type of discussion again, alright?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes, turning back to Alice and nodded, "Okay. Now, don't do anything stupid with your arms right now or they'll fall off. You have to give the venom at least thirty minutes to fuse your arms back properly or we'll be doing this whole process over again."

She whimpered, "What are some examples of 'stupid things,' Jasper?"

"Putting your arms above your head, sticking them out repeatedly, and just to be safe—no masturbating," I told her.

Emmett and Rosalie snickered, while Carlisle and Esme hit me with a wave of irritation. I laughed and stood up from my squatted position, "all done." I announced to the room.

I turned to face them and Carlisle rolled his eyes at me, "Thank you, Jasper, but you can understand why I'll never ask you to fuse any ones arms back on, right?" He asked, with a small little smirk on his face.

I chuckled, "I understand."

"Well," Esme started, "shows over. Let's all get back to our rooms and call it a night," she said, being the first to make it back up the stairs and to her room.

"Is she going to be okay?" Rosalie asked, looking sadly towards the exit our mother just took.

Carlisle nodded and sighed sadly, "she'll be fine soon," he said before going leaving, too. "You heard your mother, let's call it a night."

* * *

**The Nex day**

"Caught in a maze I can't find my way back  
but I'm trippin' I love how, you do me like that  
a week is so long I don't know how to act

Promise me when I see you—you do me like that."

Bella was singing in the shower and I'm positive that so far this has been the best part of my existence.

"Many say they want it but I waited for you  
it's you that I adore, for real  
you want to know the truth?  
Cause I adore what you do."

Bella hit a high note, leaving everyone but Peter and Charlotte stunned. "How long has she had that voice?" Esme asked.

Char laughed, "it was discovered when she was four, but it has only gotten better over time," she informed us, absolutely beaming with pride.  
I couldn't blame her; Bella was someone to be proud of.

I heard Rosalie chuckle, "you did good Bella, no crying just a few tears; simply lemonade is waiting downstairs as an award for you. You need to get dress first," She snapped.  
We all laughed, but from the glare Peter was giving me I'm sure he knew where my head went…

"So, where is everyone?" Bella asked.

"In the kitchen," Rosalie answered her.

"This whole time? Damn, that means they heard me scream while you waxed my snatch….that sounded very wrong and I will never repeat it."

Rosalie giggled and soon they walked into the kitchen, arms locked. "She didn't want to be by herself and Esme thought it'd be nice if everyone could be together, despite some things that went on last night and earlier this morning," Charlotte answered Bella's confused gaze.

She nodded and poured herself a glass of strawberry simply lemonade, "so what's on the agenda today?"

Everyone looked at each other before shrugging, but it was Carlisle who eventually answered, "Why don't we go on a family trip? An amusement park or something," he suggested.

"I'm down," Emmett, Peter, Rosalie, Bella and I all answered at the same time.

Charlotte sighed, "fine, but when I'm ready to leave Peter, we. Are. Leaving," Charlotte told him seriously.

Peter grinned, his whole face lighting up, "I promise!"

* * *

_**Amusement Park**_

"Seriously, I was there when the map was created! I should be able to read an amusement park map," Carlisle growled out, completely frustrated.  
We all snickered, but stopped when he glared at us. We didn't really have a right to snicker anyways, what with us not being able to read the map either.

"Edward and I are going to the Superman ride, we'll meet up with you all later," Bella called to us.

We all mumbled, "Cool," still looking at their map.

When they walked away, though, my head popped up and I looked at everyone else wide-eyed, "we just gave Bella permission to go off by herself!"

"Don't panic, Major, Bella's a big girl—"Rosalie started but I cut her off,

"Yes, unless some bigger guy decides to come and take her," whisper.

"She's with Edward," Esme told me.

I rolled my eyes, "is that supposed to make me feel better; because really, it doesn't make me feel better."

Peter patted me on the shoulder, "can we talk?"

I nodded and we walked away from the group over to some other part of the park that was supposed to be the scary or something like that, "what's up?"

"You have to stop doing that," Peter told me.

My face screwed up into what everyone likes to call my 'WTF' face, "stop doing what?"

Peter rolled his eyes, "making a big fuss about Bella like that. I get that she's your mate—your human mate—but she's not ready for a relationship, and if you continue this whole—she's—mine—not—yours—thing you've got going on, especially around her, you'll lose her. And I'm not just telling you this because she's my daughter and I know her, I'm telling you this because my gift is telling me this," he said seriously.

I shook my head, "and how exactly am I supposed to control it? It's not like I want to be a possessive, jealous, mate, but when your mate is denying you—purposely or not—it's kind of hard to fight it!" I yelled at him, getting some attention from some humans that were walking bye.

"I'm aware of that all too clearly," he said between clenched teeth, and I knew he was recalling our time back in Maria's camp.

I sighed, "I know, I'm sorry, it's just a scary thought. How about this—I give her two weeks to realize that we're mates—because come on, she's been around vampires long enough to at least point out the signs—and if she doesn't, I'll tell her and let her decide what she wants to do from them on."

He nodded, "that could work. Now, we came here for some fun, let's go!"

I laughed and ran off after him, ready for 'some fun.'

* * *

"Where the hell are they?" Peter growled, pacing back and forth as his frustration began to take over.

I called six times, and between Peter, Rosalie, Emmett, and Carlisle they've sent 22 text messages to Edward. "He's either avoiding us or his phone is off," Esme said, always seeing the best in people.

I got off the hood of the car when I finally saw them coming. I had to keep myself from growling, jealousy threatening to take over when I saw Bella's arm locked around his, holding hands with him. She had the biggest grin on her face and she was laughing loudly, looking extremely beautiful and I hated that it was with Edward instead of me.  
His eyes found mine and he smirked slightly.

"Oh, God, I'm just glad he's still alive. I thought he was going to die," Bella laughed.

Edward did too, louder than I'd ever heard before, "I did too! I couldn't even get a good read on his thoughts because they were all jumbled up and he was terrified."

"I wouldn't be surprised if his girlfriend's ear drums are busted," she giggled girlishly.

"What about the Chris Brown look-a-like?" Edward chuckled.

Bella threw her head back and laughed, "Oh my Emmett, I should have taken a picture with him! I could've made so many people at school jealous," she continued to laugh as they made their way to the car.

"Oh my Emmett," Emmett said, grinning at Bella.  
Bella nodded, grinning back, "Oh my Emmett. I thought about that today while we were eating Pizza. There was this huge bug and I swear it was going to eat me and I screamed 'Oh my Go—Emmett' after I got glared at by this nun."

"Why the hell weren't you answering your phone?" Peter yelled at Edward, not giving Emmett a chance to respond to Bella's story. He pulled her into a tight hug and refused to let her go, "I was so worried!"

"I'm okay, dad. We were eating—well, I was eating and Edward turned his phone off. We came here as soon as he saw all the calls and messages, I was perfectly safe," Bella reassured her dad.

"Yea, well, next time you better keep your phone on or I swear to whatever designer you're worshiping this month I'll rip your arms off," Peter growled out at Edward so only we could hear.  
His eyes widened and he nodded, fear taking over his emotions for a few seconds.

Bella wiggled out of her dads hug and hit him playfully, "I have no idea what you said but I know it was mean, and I know you said it to Edward, so stop it, okay?"  
She walked over to me and petted the head of the giant Dalmatian, "it's so cute! What game did you win it from?"

I shrugged, "some game with a baseball and plastic bottles," I told her, "I figured you'd like it?"

Bella squealed, "No one's ever won me one before! I'll figure out a name for him when we get home."  
She gave me a hug and then went to give Edward a hug, "I'll ask on the way. I'm beat, though, guys, so I'll talk to you all later," she gave everyone else a hug, too before getting into Charlotte's charger.

"She'll ask what, exactly?" Carlisle asked, just as suspicious as everyone else.

Edward shrugged, "I have no idea," he said, before getting into Emmett's jeep.

Rosalie growled, "He's up to something. It feels how it felt when Alice said she had an announcement to make to everybody," she pointedly looked at Alice.

"Can't you just let that go? It was just a mistake," Alice screeched, sounding like she would cry before getting into Carlisle's Mercedes.

"No, she can't just let it go!" Esme yelled, getting in the car, too, and began giving Alice a good talking to.

Charlotte looked at all of us for a minute, then at Edward before looking back at us, "I agree with Rosalie. He—their—up to something; Peter and I will figure out the 'what' and tell everyone else."  
She got in the car and that left the rest of us, staring at each other with enough suspicion to put cops out of business.

"Well then, I'll see you all at home," Carlisle said, getting into his car and pulled off.

"Bye," the rest of us said.

Emmett pulled out with his jeep first and then Peter pulled out next.

* * *

_**** In the Car ****_

"So, ask what on the way?" Char asked, turning in the passenger seat to look at Bella.

Bella shrugged, "Oh, you know…"

"I don't," Charlotte said, obviously not in a joking matter.

Bella coughed, understanding that her mother wasn't playing, "how do you feel about…um, you know, dating?" She chocked out.

Peter stomped on the break, hard, and we all turned to look towards Bella, "WHAT?" All three of us yelled at the same time.

"Dating…it's what a guy and a girl, or a guy and a guy, or a girl and a girl, do before they get married. It's when you use the terms boyfriend and girlfriend," she explained.

Peter growled, "We know what it is! Did Edward put you up to this? Is he forcing you, somehow?"

Bella gasped, "What? NO! Of course not, he just asked me on a date and I said yes, but I have to ask my parents first. I want to go out with him, and I'm not being forced to say that."

"No," Peter said at the same time that Charlotte said, "yes."

They turned to glare at each other, "what do you mean 'yes?'"

"I mean," Charlotte growled, "that she's old enough to know whether she's ready to start dating again or not."

"Absolutely not," her mate growled back, "she's not ready."

Char rolled her eyes, "just because you're her dad doesn't mean you'll have control of her forever! You should be happy she's even asking your permission."

I rolled my eyes, "Char you can't be serious! She's my mate, so she shouldn't be dating anyone."  
Wrong thing to say; Charlotte turned around and turned her glare on me, "until you man the fuck up and tell her that you two are mates you have no say in who she dates, idiot. Really, you need to man the fuck up, get your priorities straight, and then decide what the hell is more important to you: your brother being mad at you for a while or your mate." She turned around in the seat, ending the conversation between me and her, and at the same time her and Peter.

I opened my mouth to say something but was cut off by Bella's loud sigh, "Never mind! Mom, I appreciate you saying yes, but if dad's going to throw a hissy fit I'll just not go." She turned to glare at me and then Peter, "and I don't care how may 'you-need-to-be-gawjuss-and-sparkle-in-the-effing-sun-to-hear-this-conversation' conversations you two have, but when it's about me than I suggest you say it loud enough for me to hear so I can defend myself if need be, or don't say it around my presence," she snapped.  
Putting her earphones in her ear, Bella effectively closed that discussion, leaving no room for arguments.

"Just like her mother," Peter sighed.

I sighed, too; Char is right, of course. I either need to man up or shut up and deal with the fact that Edward is going around _stealing mates_.


	15. Chapter 15: Vulnerable

_**Highway to Hell**_

_A/N: Awesome reviews, y'all; I've just realized I'll have two hundred soon! That's crazy, so thanks for making it happen!  
Note: Bella's POV; probably will be for awhile. And this chapter is just a catch up of what happened after they got home, you know? The date, or anything else mentioned in this chapter, really, doesn't happen until the next chapter and then on.  
Remember how I said there's going to be a little fun going on before all the drama starts? Well, that's finally going to start happening._

_**DC: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT NOR DO I OWN ANYTHING DEALING WITH THE SAGA. THANKS MS. MEYER.**_

_Chapter 15: Vulnerable_

* * *

I don't know what time it is, where I'm at, or why, but I do know that someone is hovering over my while I try to sleep and I'm going to back hand them. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, it'd break your hand," someone whispered in my ear. It was an irresistible voice and male for sure.

"Fuck off," I mumbled sleepily, turning over on whatever I was laying on only to fall flat on my face.  
"I'm awake," I groaned, trying, and failing miserably, to wiggle my way out from between the seat. I couldn't help the screaming that left my mouth; I couldn't go on my date, I was beyond tired, and I was stuck on the floor in Char's Charger because I was too tired to move. I'm agitated and I deserve to scream!

The laughing outside didn't help either, "would you like some help?"

"No, I want to stay here," I snapped sarcastically before huffing, "Will you help me? Please, Emmett."

I heard him groan outside the car and I smirked, "even when I can't see your face those damn puppy dog eyes still get to me!" Emmett complained as he picked me up effortlessly off the floor and carried my bridal style.

I threw my arms around his shoulders and closed my eyes, "I'm sleepy."

He chuckled softly, "I know, muffin top, let's get you in bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

I woke up, again, to eyes staring at me; this time it was Peter, a hard, but defeated look on his face, "Rosalie and Emmett are going with you—don't even try to protest your way out of that because it won't happen. I want you to call every new hour you're out—curfew is 11 so I suggest you leave early if you want to stay out late—scratch that, every thirty minutes. If he touches you, or so much as looks at you wrong and it makes you uncomfortable you better either call me or tell Rosalie and Emmett immediately, do I make myself clear?"

I sat up and covered my mouth with my hand, my eyes wide with shock, "you're letting me go? On my date with Edward, I mean."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I still don't think you're ready, but your mother said I can't baby you forever ad I have to realize that you're older and know what you want and don't want and yada-yada-yada," he trailed off, mumbling stuff about 'grown up my ass, baby you 'til I'm dead.'

I threw my arms around his shoulder and squeezed him tightly to me, "Thank You, daddy, you won't regret it!"

"I probably will," Peter murmured, hugging me back, "now, go get ready, we have some family stuff to do."

I nodded and left to my bathroom, wondering what 'family' stuff we had to do today.

After brushing my teeth and taking a shower, I stood in front of the mirror staring at myself. I was fifteen when James did what he did to me and I'm now seventeen with over one—hundred scars on my body. They each tell a story, a feeling; they each have a specific reason for being there.  
And if Peter saw them saw them right now he'd be even more convinced that I wasn't ready. I'd taken my pain out on myself, obviously I wasn't ready _then,_ but I am now.

With my mind up, I began going through all y things until I found the make-up that Char bought me for my sixteenth birthday.  
I began to cover up each scar and was done in an hour and looked completely scar-free.

Wrapping a towel around myself I went to my room and started looking through my clothes; another way to show that I'm ready: start wearing skirts again, shorts, with no leggings underneath.  
In the back of my closet I came across an outfit that made me gasp, bringing with them some bad memories.

But in my determination, I wiped my tears and grabbed the outfit then proudly walked out of my closet.

* * *

It took me an hour to actually put the clothes on and when I was done I straightened my hair.

Looking in the mirror I was proud of myself; dark blue denim shorts, black wife beater, and some black converse. I am ready.

Walking down the stairs I paused when I once again heard yelling from Peter, but this time it was much quieter, "I don't care how old she is and what kind of decisions she can make! She's still too vulnerable and if you take advantage of that vulnerability I will rip your head off and burn your ass," he growled out.

"Yes, Sir," I heard Edward say, bat-shit nervous.

I made my presence known and Peter backed away from Edward and that's when I noticed everyone sitting in our living room, "sorry for taking two hours…" I trailed off at the glassy look in Charlotte's eyes.

"Bella…" she said, her hands flying to her mouth in shock.

Peter looked like he didn't know what to be; shocked, angry, or proud. He just didn't know.

Next thing I know I was pulled into a hug by Charlotte, "you don't have to be so strong, baby, it _is_ okay to not be ready," she whispered in my ear.

I nodded, "but I _am_, so ready," I admitted, letting go of our hug and smiling at her.

Charlotte grinned, "I'm so proud of you. I—I never would have been able to put the outfit back on," she told me truthfully.

I grinned back, but it was off. Now that it hit me, the fact that I was wearing the outfit from the day they hurt me, I couldn't understand why the fuck I did it!  
Really, is going on a date with Edward this important? I really did not know, I was so confused and frustrated with myself and felt like I was going to have a fucking break down because of what I just did. How could I be so stupid? Of course I'm not ready!

I was going to call if off, tell them the truth, but when I caught Edward's eye he grinned at me, pride showing through his eyes because he no doubt knew what this outfit represented completely, and I melted just a little inside; I can't _not _go on this date after I've already promised him…

I finally decided to go and acknowledge the other people so I ran over to Emmett and sat on his lap and placed my feet on Rosalie's lap and laid my head on Jasper's, "what's up with you people?" I asked, looking up at all of them.

Emmett shrugged, "oh, you know, just being bored. Had to wait for this little human girl I know to wake up, but I guess her dream was way more important than the rest of us," he said, giving us a pointed look.

Last night was what Peter deemed my Bella nights; those night occur whenever I don't have a nightmare. As I tried to recall what the dream was about, I blushed and groaned when it came back to me, "let's not talk about that, okay? It's bad enough my parents know about it," I groaned again.  
I had the best sex dream anyone could ever have…and it starred yours truly with Jasper.

God, I hope I didn't say any names. That would just ruin me.

"Stop trying to embarrass her, asshole," Jasper said from above me.

I looked up, ready to thank him but sighed sadly when I saw the smirk on his face; I did say things in my sleep, and most likely his name.

I rolled off of them and landed on the floor, "leave me alone, it happens to the worst of us," I sighed.

I heard a chuckle, "yes, leave her alone," Carlisle defended me, "now, Bella, the reason we're all over here again—"

"Again, I know! We just can't get rid of you," I interrupted.

He chuckled, "sadly, you cannot. But, like I was saying, we're here because Esme thought it would be a good idea to ask you all to join in the festivities and I agree."

"What festivities?" Peter, Charlotte, and I asked at the same time.

"We have this thing that we call 'Family Fun Week' twice a year and this is the last week for this year. It's where we pick random things, or challenges, and we do them. Helps up relax and have fun with the family all at once," Alice explained.

I was surprised she said anything at all, seeing as how we've been avoiding each other like the plague. "Sounds like fun," I admitted.

"Do you know what you all are doing this week?" Charlotte asked.

"We usually draw activities from a hat," Edward and Rosalie explained at the same time.

She glared at him and I sighed; she'd come up to my room while I was getting ready to talk and I told her about my date with Edward and she's been pissed since, but I couldn't understand why she wouldn't want me to go out with Edward.

"I think we should add a new category; dream time. We all go around sharing the last dreams that we can remember," Emmett smirked at me.

I blushed and stood up off the floor with a huff, "If I could kick your ass I would," I growled out.

Esme sighed, "I give up! Really, you kids have the dirtiest mouths I have ever heard."

"Some of us have even dirtier dreams," Emmett snickered.

I screamed again and turned around, stomping out the room and all the way up to my room, slamming my door behind me. I could now add embarrassment to how I was feeling for two reasons; I just stomped to my room…as if Peter doesn't accuse me of being a clichéd teenage girl already, and that damn dream!

"You're just so _vulnerable_, Bella, and that makes you the easiest target to Emmett's relentless nagging."

I rolled over onto my side and Esme sighed, wiping away my tears, "don't cry, sweet girl, he wasn't that bad."

I rolled my eyes, "I know. I'm just overly-sensitive sometimes and Emmett's mocking doesn't help! I'm already embarrassed enough…" I trailed off.  
"Why do people keep calling me vulnerable? First Peter and now you," I huffed, getting a little angry.

Esme laughed, "because of your…situation that you got into, it's easier to see you that way. It makes people feel like you're more prone to getting attacked and harmed emotionally. Plus, you even said it yourself; you're overly-sensitive and that just gives people even more reason. I can understand why you're getting so upset about it, though, Rosalie and I had to deal with people calling us vulnerable 24/7 as well and it just irked our nerves.  
It's one of the reasons that made us not accept Carlisle and Emmett so fast, the other reason you know already."

"Yeah, well, explaining doesn't make me feel better. I'm just upset that Peter would tell Edward that! I just want to date peacefully without my dad forever bringing up my 'vulnerability' or the fact that he doesn't think I'm ready, even though I _know_ I'm ready."

"He won't always, sweetie," Esme reassured me, "eventually; he'll see what you see. Just give it some time; all dads act like him at some point in their lives."

"Overprotective," I muttered, thought I knew Peter had a reason to be.

We laid there on my bed for basically the rest of the day, just talking and laughing.


	16. Chapter 16: Let the Games Begin

_**Highway to Hell**_

_A/N: So, a few of you agree with Charlotte—Jasper can't complain about Bella seeing someone else when he won't say anything, but the lot of you just want to know why the hell Bella is even going on the date with Edward! I think both sides will be happy with the coming chapters.  
Note: I have no idea what day it is! I'm thinking Sunday, since everyone found out what happened to Bella on Friday, right? And then the amusement park the next day, so it's Sunday?  
And, just in case anyone's wondering, Bella and Angela are still friends—she's not very important in this story so I don't let her in; maybe in a few chapters but for now, no.  
Oh, and can I just say, that this is the most disorganized story I have ever read and written in all my life! So, thanks to all of you who like it and continue to read! I know it's got to be a bother with all the mistakes in it._

_**DC: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANYTHING DEALING WITH SAGA, Y'ALL. ALL THAT CHIZ BELONGS TO MS. MEYER HERSELF.**_

* * *

_Chapter 16: Let the Games Begin_

* * *

"Bitsy."

"Aw, that's a cute name!" Rosalie said.

"No! No way, for a boy? Absolutely not," Jasper said, glaring playfully at Esme.

I scoffed, "you may have won the dog, J, but you gave him to me—he's mine and I like the name Bitsy!"

We were sitting in my living room again, since when I woke up they were still here and we decided to just stay in with everyone, instead of going out, for the day.  
We were currently trying to find a nice name for my Dalmatian that Jasper got me yesterday at six flags.

"Exactly—I won him. Woman, I will revoke any rights you think you have over him and take him back," Jasper challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Woman? Did you just call me woman? Jasper, you could _try_ and take my dog from me, but it won't happen," I told him, raising an eyebrow back at him.

"Bella, are you seriously challenging me?" He asked, humor coloring his tone.

I shook my head, "no, not at all, I'm just not backing down from you're challenge. Take my dog and I will somehow chop your balls off," I told him, completely serious with my threat.

Rosalie laughed, "I'll be that somehow."

Jasper looked terrified for a moment before he let his annoyance shine through, "fine! Just don't name it Bitsy!"

The others were watching our exchange in silent amusement—well, almost silent. Emmett couldn't keep his hysterical laughter quiet even if he tried or wanted to.

After a few minutes of us glaring at each other, but wanting the other to back down, I grinned at him, "I know the perfect name!"

I yelled proudly!

"This is ridiculous," Peter groaned, "it's a fucking stuffed animal, not an actual dog that will come to you when you call his name."

I rolled my eyes, "this stuffed animal is special and special stuffed animals need names, dad, so deal with it," I stuck my tongue out at him before continuing, "like I was saying, I have the perfect name. Jambalaya," I stated proudly.

"Jambalaya," they all said together, giving me weird looks.

I huffed, "yes, Jambalaya. It's a good name and its final so deal with it." I told them, pointedly looking at Jasper.

He opened his mouth to no doubt argue, but whatever he was going to say was interrupted by his—and everyone else's—loud growl, followed by a doorbell.  
"I'll get it?" I asked the room full of growlers in a quiet voice, confused as to what could be setting them off so bad.

"No," they all growled out together.

Carlisle stood up, then, "I'll go see what it is they want."

I moved my feet from his lap and he stood up, Peter, Charlotte, Jasper, and Emmett all flanking him. I sat down next to Esme and raised an eyebrow at her.  
At first, it looked like she wasn't going to say anything but as my face morphed from annoyance into to my mastered puppy dog eyes I could see her caving little by little until she let out a groan, "Ugh! Those damn puppy eyes," she said, surprising me by the fact that she actually said damn.  
"Well, we have…werewolves that live here. Well, shape shifters, they haven't exactly gotten the fact that if they were real werewolves they'd only change during the full moon and be complete and total savages."

I nodded, "Peter and Char told me about them once—we even had a little problem with them when we took a trip to Siberia a few years ago."  
I stood up and started heading for the door when suddenly Rosalie was blocking my way, "where are you going?"

I rolled my eyes, "to meet the wolves obviously."

I elbowed her out of the way and, rolling her eyes, she moved and I peeked out of the door to listen.  
"Can we help you?"

There was a snort, "you have two human blood—drinking leeches and you're seriously asking us why we're here?" A deep voice asked, chuckling.

"There have been no missing person cases in town or in La Push, so I do not understand why you are here," Carlisle said—forever the calm one.

"That is true, but how do we know it will always be that way? They drink from humans, making them even more of a threat than you and your family," a familiar voice said.

Sticking my head out the doorway all the way, I saw his face and I gasped causing all the eyes at the door to look at me.

Sam's eyes widened, "Bella?"

I stepped out the door way and walked up to Sam, smiling, "Hey Sam! I haven't seen you back around school."

Sam frowned, "you know what they are…don't you?" He asked, looking suspiciously between the vampires and back to me.

I rolled my eyes, "I've known since I was four, Sam, but stop trying to change the subject—I give you my number and you don't call me back? What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked him, putting my hands on my hips.  
I told him with my eyes to play along and he rolled his.

"You didn't actually expect me to call you back, did you? I told you—you were just too cute for me _not_ to get your number," he smirked at me.

"You asshole, I don't appreciate being treated as only a pretty face," I said and tried very hard to keep a straight face, but his grinning face and the looks on the vampires around me was too much and I started laughing, hard.  
"Oh God, you guys should see each of Y'alls faces!"

I laughed more when they all screwed up their faces at me and so did Sam. When we did calm down he pulled me into a hug and then let me go, putting his arm across my shoulders, "you've been with them since you were four? They didn't eat you—what, with all your lady…stuff," he trailed off awkwardly.

"Men," I snorted, "yes, even with all my lady stuff, Sam. Really, you have nothing to worry about—seriously, their practically harmless and only kill the bad guys that aren't going to be missed," I told him.

He let me go and backed up some, sizing up my parents, "I guess…" he trailed off again.

"How do you two know each other?" The other native—American wolf asked, looking at me weirdly.

I looked at him the same way he was looking at me and his face screwed up even more, like he was confused as to why _I _was looking at him in the way that I was looking.  
"We met at school—he just had to know the name of the beautiful new girl," I said, flipping my hair back and rolling my eyes.

Sam laughed, "You shouldn't have told him that! Emily, my mate, will have my head if she knew I said that to another girl that's not her."

I laughed, too, but my response was cut off by Carlisle, "It's nice that you two know each other and all, but can we get back to the reason two werewolves are here?"

"Oh, right," Sam said, "Jacob let me know that the new leeches in town drink human blood so we decided it would be a good idea to come warn them that if anything happens to any of the humans here because of them we'll be forced to kill them," he said, shrugging like this was an everyday conversation that he had with them.

I snorted, "Really, I'd love to see you guys try. Seriously, you guys should eat someone—someone like Lauren Mallory—and start this war. I'll put money on it this fight," I said.

"Are you implying they would win?" Jacob, I'm assuming, asked obviously offended.

"Damn straight. Now, don't think for one moment I'm going to let you come to _my _house and start threatening _my_ family like they're the monsters—hello, giant ass dogs!—so, unless you're absolutely sure you're ready to die stop trying to start a war and stay the hell away from us," I said, all the while grinning sweetly at the both of them, "Sam, it was nice seeing you again. Tell your Emily I said hi—goodbye now."

I slammed the door in their faces and turned back around to see that everyone was now in the room and they were all staring at me, "Dude," Emmett said, laughing loudly, "you should have seen their faces!"

Jasper laughed, too, "Ha-ha, you should have! They didn't like being talked to by a human that way, especially a girl," he laughed more than I'd ever seen him, or thought possible, and I loved it.  
Now, if I could get him to act like this every day then there wouldn't be anything to worry about.

"From now on, how about you try not to go off on mutts that have no control when they're angry, yea?" Peter said, throwing his arm over my shoulder.

I shrugged and threw mine over his waist, "if it helps you sleep at night."

I got some laughs from everyone as we once again made our way to the living room, where there were now three big black hats sitting on our new coffee table.  
Before I could ask though, Esme was standing up in front of everybody with a huge grin on her face.

"This is how we go about choosing what will happen during 'Family Fun Week'," she explained, "someone will be picked to pull for the first day and will go through both hats. The first hat has slips of paper that explain what the teams are going to be for the day—pairs, girls vs. boys—like that, or, it'll be a slip of paper that says 'Team Captains' and there will be two names on there and they will get to pick a team. Everything's been written down and thrown in there in no particular order so no one can cheat. The next hat is the activity!" She said, really excited now, "scavenger hunts, karaoke, outrageous dares, and anything else that was thought of was put into the hat," she said.

I looked to Peter and Charlotte and saw they both had grins on their faces, "Oh, we have to do boys vs. girls, I'm so going to kick Peter's ass!" She cheered.

His grin faltered and he began to pout and, besides a small chuckle from Emmett, no one paid him any attention.

"Who's picking first?" Edward asked from my right side.

"Bella," everyone said automatically.

"Why?" I asked standing up.

Emmett smirked at me, "usually the slowest person goes first."

"Huh," I smirked back and parked my ass right back on the couch, "guess you better go Emm," I said.

This made everyone laugh, including Emmett who couldn't keep the pout on his face even if he wanted to.  
Standing up again, I went to the first hat and pulled out a slip of paper.

"Can I pick again?" I whined.

"No," they all answered automatically.

Rolling my eyes I let out a huff and went to the next hat, "girls vs. boys," I muttered.

"HELL YEAH, BABY, YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" Charlotte yelled. My mother could be just as fiercely competitive as she is protective and has been dying to get a rematch from the last family game night we had and this was obviously her chance.

"Like hell you will," Peter said at the same time that Rosalie spoke,  
"I refuse to be on a team with that thing," she pointed to Alice, glaring menacingly.

"I'm with Rosalie," Esme and Charlotte added their two cents.

I looked over to Alice who had tears in her eyes, ready to start dry sobbing at any minute. Then, I turned to my mother, my other mother, and my sister and saw them all glaring deathly daggers at her and I sighed, "leave her alone you guys. We won't be able to enjoy family fun week if we're all determined to hate our partner," I chided them.

They all turned to look at me in shock and I shrugged, "if she fucks up rip her hand off or something—I don't care."

I stuck my hand in the other hat and pulled out another piece of paper before anyone could respond, "Scavenger hunt in the city of Seattle."

Emmett let out a loud, "In your face!" And fist pumped the air.

Taking out some papers from the back of his pocket, he handed each of us a piece of paper, "I came up with this game and Esme gave me permission to plan this year's scavenger hunt-'

Everyone glared playfully at Esme and she gave us all a sheepish smile before Emmett began talking again, "and those papers are your guides to get there. Rules: No using your gifts—Peter, Edward, and Alice—"

"What about Jasper?" I yelled, "hellloo, can anyone say emotion manipulator?"

"Emotion manipulator!" The girls all yelled at the same time, sending a small glare to Emmett.

God, do we ever stop glaring?

Jasper huffed, "fine, if it makes y'all happy I won't use my gift. Can you get back to the instructions please?" He asked

Emmett chuckled, "well, other than that you do whatever you can to win as long as it doesn't involve killing someone on the opposing team or on your own team," he gave us girls a pointed look, I blushed and I'm sure if the others could they would be doing so too at being called out, "I'll be waiting at the last clue with the prize." He said.

After explaining to us that he was going to leave now to get to the end of the hunt early so he could be there and have everything ready, we all stood up and put our coats on, ready to leave.

"Let the best team win," Jasper said, trying to be civilized.

I saw right through his bullshit though, "we will," I assured him.

We all glared each other down—obviously we all had a competitive streak in us and were determined to win.

"Well then," Carlisle began, "_let the games begin_."


	17. Chapter 17: Scavenger Hunt

_**Highway to Hell  
**__A/N: I've done scavenger hunts before, but I've never actually made one of my own and it's been a while since I have actually done one, so don't be upset when (IF!) you see that something is wrong! I take credit for not knowing what the hell I'm doing.  
NOTE: My __**birthday**__ is __**today**__ so as a gift to y'all, I'm putting up __**TWO**__ new updates. Maybe even a third one if I can write that much. _

_DC: I do not own TWILIGHT or anything dealing with the series.  
RangerRainbow gave me the idea for Emmett's boxers…  
UPDATE: OH! And this chapter switches from first person to third person._

* * *

**Chapter 17: Emmett's Scavenger Hunt (/Officially Gangster)**

* * *

"Alright, you ladies get one phone call," Officer Williams yelled, opening the cell.

Everyone's head automatically turned towards me and I think I got paler then all of them. "Why are you all looking at me?" I whined.

"We ruined Emmett's game," Carlisle said, "parents and family or not, he'll murder us all."

Charlotte scoffed, "so you send my daughter out to get eaten by the bear?"

"Of course," Peter nodded, "she's the youngest and his favorite; he'll take it easy on her and if she can convince him, on us too."

Jasper nodded his head in agreement, "he's right. Bella, you have to put in the good word for us. It truly was an accident on both our parts."  
I was going to say no, but looking into Jasper's eyes I couldn't do it.

Damn hypnotizing eyes. "Fine, but you all owe me," I snapped.

They grinned at me as I stood up and walked to the officer. He grabbed me by my forearm and took me to what I'm guessing to be his desk and sat me down in a chair.  
"You have ten minutes," he told me sternly.

I nodded and he walked away a little to give me some sort of privacy and I dialed his number.  
He answered immediately, "Bella? Where the hell is everybody?"

I chuckled nervously, "hey Emmy."

* * *

_*****6 Hours Earlier*****_

"_Well then," Carlisle began, "let the games begin."_

_The guys all left first, getting into Carlisle's Mercedes and taking off without another word.  
"Well, looks like we get a head start," Charlotte smirked at the other girls, "they forgot their list."_

_The girls all got a laugh out of that before they all—literally—hopped into Emmett's jeep, which he so kindly left for them since it was a bigger group of them than the guys.  
"Okay," Rosalie, who had been dubbed the team captain for this game since it was her husband who started it, said, turning off the music so she could be heard clearly, "the first one says: __**'Where my heart is, there my home will be also—but my mind stays underneath the denim and in the red sea of wonderful.**__  
__****NOTE: You have abruptly twenty minutes to find your first clue before it is destroyed and you will be disqualified from the game."**_

_Rosalie finished. All the woman stared at each other with their best 'What-the-fuck' faces firmly in place. "What the hell is wrong with your mate, Rose?" Charlotte asked.  
How the hell were they supposed to find the clue in twenty minutes when Emmett spouted some weird shit like that?_

"_I have no idea," Rosalie answered truthfully._

_They sat there for a good ten minutes when a light bulb suddenly went off in Bella's head and she let out a gasp, "what?"  
Esme asked._

_Bella smiled at them, "what does a man tell a woman when their in love with them?"_

_Alice scrunched up her face. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to play without getting her head bitten off, but she answered anyway, albeit quietly, "I—I love you?"_

_Esme, Rosalie, and Charlotte all turned to look at Alice. They each had a comment they wanted to say to her, but in the end decided not to say them because they, like Bella, wanted to have fun with this game.  
"I would say she's right. What else is there to say?" Rosalie asked, getting mildly shocked stares from everyone in the car but Bella._

_Bella nodded, "that's a major thing, but what else?"_

"_Umm," Esme thought out-loud, "Eternity still isn't enough time for me to show you just how much I love you?"_

"_Aw," they all gushed at her, "Carlisle said that to you?"_

_Esme nodded, "he's such a romantic."_

"_Awww," they sighed again._

_Bella laughed, "That's sweet. But not that either; Char, what did Peter tell you when you weren't sure if he'd runaway with you or not back when y'all were with Maria? Because you knew he sort of considered it his home since it was the only thing he knew," She hinted._

_Charlotte scrunched up her face in confusion as she thought about everything Peter had said to her—and did—when she told him she wanted to runaway with him.  
"Get your head out of the gutter please, and answer the question!" Alice snapped playfully._

_Her eyes widened as she realized what she had just said, but she noticeably relaxed when everyone laughed.  
Charlotte nodded, her eyes widening slightly, "Oh! He said 'My home is wherever my heart is and my heart is with you, mi Amor.'" Charlotte smiled fondly at the memory._

"_Oh!" Rosalie exclaimed and all eyes turned to her, "Emmett has told me that before, too!"_

_Bella nodded, "and in the paper he said 'where his heart is, there his home will be also…'"_

_Esme picked up where Bella left off, "so obviously the first clue is dealing with Rosalie. But I don't get the, 'but my mind stays underneath the denim and in the red sea of wonderful' part." She confessed._

_Alice smirked, "what does Emmett like to do more than eat and hold Rosalie in his arms?"_

"_Have sex," they all answered at the same time._

_Their eyes widened and Rosalie grinned hugely at them before starting up the engine, "Emmett always did love a certain pair of red lace panties."_

_They all laughed as Rosalie put her foot down heavy on the gas and didn't let up until they were at the Cullen mansion._

…

"_I ONLY SEE BLACK AND WHITE!" Bella yelled, "I'M GETTING SICK OF BLACK AND WHITE!"_

"_YOU?" Alice yelled at Bella, sticking her head out of Rosalie's closet, "I'M GETTING TIRED OF ALL THIS PINK! ALICE FUCKING CULLE IS GETTING TIRED OF PINK!"_

_Charlotte snorted, "I didn't even know there was orange lingerie!"_

"_Seriously," Rosalie finally snapped, "stop criticizing my lingerie! Emmett and I have been around for a long time and we like to add some stuff to our sex lives every now and then. Well, except for that orange piece, I don't know what Emmett was thinking when he bought that. I think it was Halloween…"_

"_So, obviously," Esme said, feeling a tad bit uncomfortable from going through her daughters private stuff, "there are no red panties anywhere. Maybe we should put all this stuff away and look somewhere else. We only have two minutes left," she said, looking at her watch._

_The girls all nodded before putting Rosalie's things back in place and meeting each other in the middle of her bedroom, "What now?"_

"_We could always look—"_

_Alice cut what Bella was going to say off with a 'shh,' "do you hear that?" She asked._

"_No," Bella said._

_Charlotte strained to listen, "that vibrating sound? I was hearing it in the closet, I thought Rosalie had gotten busy or something."_

_Rosalie scoffed, "why would I do that with all of you in here? I mean, if you wanted to stay while I used my v—"_

"_Really? Are we really having this conversation?" Esme asked the girls seriously, looking as if she would be blushing if she could right now, "it sounds like it's coming from Carlisle's office," Esme said after a moment._

_Without saying anything else, they all took off to Carlisle's office and walked in just in time to see a pair of red laced panties heading straight for the shredder._

_Bella ran in and got them just in time before they could go in and turned off the shredder. "These are nice," Bella said randomly._

_Rosalie smiled, "thanks. Emmet bought them for me a little before you moved here. Hmm, what's that note say?"_

_Bella grabbed the note of the side of the underwear and read it out loud, "If you were a man, especially me, you'd probably love these too. But I __**am**__ a man and I have my own and the saying on them goes: ….."_

"_Is that it?" Alice asked, more confused with this one then the first._

_Bella nodded, "there are some directions, but I don't do the whole longitude latitude thing…"_

_Charlotte snatched the letter from Bella, "this is where I come in. My specialty in the wars was direction. I can have us here in an hour. Is there anything on those panties that give a time?"_

_Bella looked at the crotch of the panties and snorted, "Emmett would right them there, right? Umm, yea, we have two hours to get to our next place."_

_Char grinned, "Excellent. Looks like the boys will be doing more than just kissing our dust, now."_

* * *

_As promised, Charlotte had them at their destination in an hour exactly._

_The destination turned out to be a small hot topic store in Seattle and as soon as they walked in a teenage boy working behind the printing counter dropped everything in his hands in nervousness.  
"Is it just me, or does we make him really nervous?" Alice asked, staring at the boy with undisguised amusement on her face and in her voice._

_Esme snorted, "It's not just you. Hey, Emmett said something about having his own. I'm assuming he means his own underwear—his boxers—and then he said something about 'the saying on them goes,' and that kid works behind the printing counter…."_

"_Esme, you're a genius!" Rosalie kissed her mother on the cheek before they all made their way to the counter, making the boy back up further into the wall behind him.  
"Was a man named Emmett here earlier?"_

"_I'm not sure…," the kid answered, obviously intimidated._

"_Here," Rosalie pulled out her phone from her purse and showed him a picture of her mate, "was this guy here earlier?"_

_The boy gulped audibly, "m-maybe."_

_Bella rolled her eyes, "there is no 'maybe.' Just give us a yes or no. Was. He. Here"_

_The boy, whose name tag read Adam, nodded his head furiously, "h-he was here. Y-your all more intimidating then he let on."_

_Charlotte grinned, "Thanks, Sugar, we try our hardest to scare the shit out of every teen male we meet."_

_They all laughed at that and only laughed louder when Adam noticeably paled.  
Alice was the first to sober up, "Adam, sweetheart, what did Emmett say when her came in here to see you?_

"_Um," Adam gulped, "he-he said you guys had to guess a s-saying be-before I could give you what you're l-looking for."_

_Rosalie stepped up and leaned against the counter, exposing her breast and rubbing her pointer finger against his chest, "are you sure you can't just…give it to us? I'm sure I could make your day, Adam," Rosalie purred sexily, "I just need a little help, whadya say?"_

_Adam, again, gulped audibly, "H-he said to be strong. E-Emmett said the b-b-blonde nymphomaniac would try to se-seduce me," he stuttered out.  
Rosalie backed away as if he burned her and stared at him with wide, angry eyes, while the other women tried to hold in their laughter._

"_I am __**not**__ a nymphomaniac!" Rose screeched._

_That was it. They all lost it, so much so that even Adam, of all people, couldn't help but laugh. Rosalie crossed her arms and began to tap her foot impatiently, she did not like that at all and Emmett was going to get it when she saw him next.  
Esme was the first to recover. She straightened herself back up and wiped the smile off her face when she saw that her daughter was upset…somewhat, "So, what's the saying we need to know?" She asked Adam sweetly._

_Adam, feeling a lot more confident now, smirked at Esme, "Sorry, the 'mama-bear' routine isn't going to work on me. I'm going to need you girls to guess like Emmett has requested.  
Esme's eyes widened in surprise and it was Rosalie's turn to laugh along with the other girls now._

"_Please?" Alice and Bella asked at the same time, giving him their famous puppy dog faces._

_He almost caved. He wanted to so badly, but he didn't, "Emmett paid me twenty bucks to __**not**__ fall for your puppy dog faces."_

"_Well damn," Rosalie said.  
The others nodded in agreement._

_Charlotte had—had enough. She wanted to win and that wasn't going to happen if this boy didn't talk. She walked in front of the other women and grabbed the boy by his collar and brought him close to his face. His eyes widened in fear, "you listen to me, Adam. I don't care how much 'confidence' Emmett put into you, if you don't give me what I need I will. Hurt. You," Charlotte threatened._

"_No fear, more money," he wheezed out._

_Charlotte glared at him before letting him go, officially fed up, "This asshole wants me to kick his ass."_

_Bella sighed, "We might as well start guessing if we plan on beating the boys. We only have thirty more minutes until our 'extra' hour is gone."_

_Esme shrugged, "how 'bout them big balls?" _

_Everyone looked at Esme in surprise—no one thought she'd ever think of anything like that._

"_No," Adam said softly._

"_Kick Adam here?" Charlotte answered, still pissed that he didn't give in to any of them._

"_Definitely not," Adam reassured, trying to be nonchalant about covering his package but it didn't go unnoticed by anyone. _

"_Um, I like to fu—damn," Bella said suddenly._

"_What?"_

_Bella sighed longingly, "That guy is so beautiful."_

_Everyone turned to where Bella was looking and they saw a Morris Chestnut look-a-like, but more light skinned and Rosalie sighed, "Morris Chestnut is a beautiful looking black man, huh?"_

_Esme chuckled, "don't even say black—just say beautiful man. He's good looking," Esme agreed._

"_Oh yea," Charlotte said, "I'd tap that."_

_Adam suddenly cleared his throat, bringing the women away from their staring, and smiled at them knowingly._

"_What?" Bella asked, confused._

_Alice scoffed, "I'd tap that? Seriously, Emmett chose that out of every other thing he could have chosen?"_

"_No, no," Rosalie said after a minute, "it makes sense. Something vulgar, but funny, something so simple, but so complex that we wouldn't think of it; it was perfect."_

_Everyone nodded, "I'd tap that."_

_Adam grinned at them and reached into the cabinet under him and pulled out a pair of boxer briefs that were so big they could only belong to Emmett with the words 'I'd tap that' printed on them in big, bold red letters, "here you are ladies."_

"'_Bout fucking time," Char snapped, snatching the boxers from his hand_

_She reached inside the boxers and pulled out a note and began to read, __**"Congratulations, girls, I honestly didn't think you'd figure it out."**__  
The girls rolled their eyes. __**"I'm going to assume this has been a little more difficult than you all thought, which means you all probably took two hours to get this so I'm going to make it easy on you all and after you find the next clue(s), call it a day.**_

_**Three cameras, four photos, and one key to my heart. Can you find these things?**_

_**1. Something blue, something big, and something very wet.**_

_**2. Loves to dance, loves to wear animals, and loves to wear money.**_

_**3. A fairy in water**_

_**You'll find the key to my heart with one of those clues.  
You have until six o' clock.**_

_**NOTE: DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID.**_

_Adam handed them the three cameras mentioned when Charlotte finished the letter and they made their way outside_

"_So," Rosalie started, taking the cameras from Charlotte, "as captain I'll have one, Charlotte will have one, and Esme will have one. Alice goes with Esme and Bella comes with me. I think we can get these three pictures done faster by splitting up."_

"_Or, we can just all go together and find them at the same time so we don't get lost or something." Charlotte suggested, not liking the fact that she got paired with Alice._

_Rosalie shrugged, "whatever. I was just trying to make it easier._

"_Let's do number two first, I know just the place," Esme suggested._

…

"_A STRIP CLUB?" The girls yelled, staring at Esme like she'd grown three heads._

"_Where the hell has our mother gone and when will you give her back?" Rosalie asked Esme seriously, wondering if maybe she should check Esme for a fever or not, "Why are we here?"_

_Esme was practically jumping and down with excitement, "Carlisle and I pass by here all the time going to the theater and I've always just wanted to give it a try. I spend so much time being the thirty-something year old mother when I'm only twenty-six! I've had so much fun being the girlfriend, the sister, for a change and I want to do this one thing that every woman experiences at least once in their life: male strippers. And, they happen to wear animal, wear their money, and love to dance."_

_The girls just shook their head, it was crazy—she was crazy—but they couldn't deny liking 'young' Esme._

"_I'm not old enough," Bella said, "and I don't walk around with a fake I.D. on me."_

_Charlotte grinned and went digging through her purse, "lucky for you, I'm always prepared. Tonight, Isabella Whitlock, you are nineteen years old."_

_Alice shook her head in amazement, "wow."_

_Rosalie smirked, "alright then. Let's go."_

…_._

"_TAKE IT OFF, BIG BOY!" Esme yelled, "WHOO!"_

_The girls thought they were just going to get in, take the picture, and get out. But, in reality, they knew better then to believe Esme would just allow them to leave without getting at least one show.  
"It's been two hours!" Bella yelled to Rosalie over the music in disbelief._

"_I know," Rosalie yelled back, "the guys have probably already won!"_

_Charlotte groaned, "Fuck, man, Peter is never going to let me hear the end of it!"_

"_GO ESME!" Alice yelled suddenly._

_The three women turned their heads just in time to see Esme up on stage, dancing with stripper…shirtless. _

"_Oh, fuck me," Rosalie murmured, "You can get arrested when you're __**not**__ a paid dancer!"_

_All four of them got up to go get Esme, but they were stopped abruptly and almost fell over one another when three 'cops' were suddenly in front of me.  
"Ma'am, I'm going to need to see your I.D.," one of the officers said to Bella._

_Her eyes widened and she went to get it immediately. When she handed it to them the three cops all smirked knowingly, "Ma'am, faking an idea is considered a felony under the court of law and I'm afraid we're going to have to take you to jail."_

_Bella's eyes got even bigger, "what? J-jail, but it's not even my fault! My mother is the one who gave it to me!"  
She yelled, pointing to Charlotte._

_Charlotte glared, "yea, just give me away, eh?"_

"_You are the adult," Rosalie said, "you're supposed to take blame where blame is due."_

_She, along with Alice, quickly stood back as the two of them got arrested, but were surprised when they bumped into someone behind them.  
They turned around to see two other wannabe cops, "accessory to a crime is about two to three years in jail, ladies," the female cop said before they both got handcuffs slapped on._

"_YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE!" Esme yelled. The girls turned their heads just in time to see Esme run around the stage and then jump off and continue running on the floor, "NEVA!" _

…_._

_Charlotte was glaring at Bella, who was glaring at Rosalie, who was glaring at Alice, who was glaring at Esme, who couldn't keep that stupid shit-eating grin off her face.  
"Why are you all glaring so much?" Esme asked sweetly, suddenly converting back into that mother hen role._

"_Oh," Rosalie started, her voice laced with sarcasm, "I don't know, maybe because we're in the back of a cop truck, but you know, it could be something else."_

_Charlotte rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't be here if Bella didn't rat me out."_

"_Mom!" Bella screeched, "We wouldn't be here if you didn't give me that fake I.D.! This is basically you're fault."_

_Rosalie shook her head, "No, this could have all been prevented if Alice had warned us about what was to come!"_

_Alice scoffed, turning her glare onto Rosalie, "I already told you all that I can't see into the future when it involves Bella! I've been blind since she got here!"_

_Bella rolled her eyes, "you better turn that glare somewhere else, honey, I don't play that."_

"_But really," Alice continued, ignoring Bella and turning her glare back onto Esme, "We wouldn't be in this situation if Esme didn't suggest going to a strip club and then hoping up on stage with her shirt off!"_

_Esme opened her mouth to defend herself, when the cop who had been standing there listening to them for the past five minutes finally had enough, "You're all band-Wagoner, so it's everyone's fault. Deal with it and please, no more talking! You women are worst than the ones on the view!"  
He yelled, before slamming the door._

"_Well then," they all said at the same time._

…_._

_They women were thrown into their cell carelessly and because of that, Bella lost her footing and flipped backwards over Rosalie who fell on her knees and tripped over Esme, who was laying on the ground because she flipped over Charlotte, who flipped over Alice.  
"You guys could have been a little gentler," Esme yelled to the cops who were walking away from them._

_Bella groaned, "don't complain Es, I'm the only hurt one."_

"_Aw," all the women said, but there was no sympathy in any of their voices.  
That was good, because Bella didn't want it._

"_So, when do we get our phone call? I think we should call…" Bella trailed off when she caught movement from the side of her eye for the first time since they'd been in there.  
"What the hell are y'all doing here?"_

_Peter glared, "what the hell are y'all doing here?"_

"_Bella asked first," Charlotte snapped._

"_So, what does that have to do with anything?" Jasper said, "Y'all answer first and then we'll answer. We've been here longer."_

"_How long is long, exactly?" Rosalie asked._

_Carlisle shrugged, "err, six hours?"_

"_ALL DAY!" The women yelled together._

_The men nodded._

"_Wow," Bella snorted, "this has got to be the most fucked up day ever.  
Apparently, faking an I.D. is a felony."_

_Before Peter could say anything, Alice spoke up, "and, you know, sneaking an underage teenager into a strip club is an accessory to said felony."_

_The men stared wide-eyed at them as if they were crazy.  
"And, apparently," Esme started, "taking your shirt off and dancing on stage at a strip club is considered public indecency if you're not a paid dancer…"_

"_Esme, you, you," Carlisle didn't know what to say, "didn't, you Esme?"_

_The girls smirked, "she did."_

"_What the hell were y'all doing in a strip club?" Jasper and Peter growled out at the same time._

_Charlotte shrugged, "watching men strip, duh."_

"_Enough questions, its Y'alls turn to tell us why you're here."_

* * *

**Th**ere was silence on the other end of the line as I finished my story, and I was nervous.

Emmett was never quiet.

He groaned, "God, a strip club? I was talking about the street performers outside of Hot Topic who tape their money on themselves and walk around with snakes and monkeys and all that shit wrapped around them while they dance."

I nodded stupidly, "Oh. We saw them, even snapped a few pictures before we left to go to the strip club…"

Emmett didn't say anything to that, and I'm thinking I should have let that little tidbit to myself.

"Whatever. That still doesn't explain why the guys are there, too, though."

I was going to say something, but the officer came over to me saying my ten minutes were up.  
"Can I please get another ten minutes? My brother wants to know why his brothers and father are in jail, too."

The cop looked at me for a few moments before rolling his eyes, "five minutes."

"Okay," I said, "So, Emmy, it all started because their all too cocky for their own damn good..."

* * *

_**** 6 Hours Earlier w/ the Men ****_

"_Well then," Carlisle started, "let the games begin."_

_The men left without another word and hopped into Carlisle's Mercedes. It wasn't until they were almost of Forks that the most important thing hit them.  
"Where the hell are we going?" Peter asked suddenly._

_Carlisle stopped his Mercedes abruptly and turned to his head to the back to see Peter and Jasper staring at him.  
"Dammit, man—the girls are probably having a field day with this," Jasper muttered._

_And sure enough, when they got back to the house their scavenger hunt list was taped to the door, along with a picture of the girls either sticking their tongues out or putting their hands on their foreheads in the shape of an 'L.'  
__**LOSERS! **__Was written in bold letters on the paper in Charlotte's handwriting._

"_When they hell did they have time to take a picture, print it out, and then tape it?" Jasper asked, snatching the picture off the door._

"_You know Rosalie likes to carry around her portable printer in that purse," Carlisle shook his head.  
He never understood that about Rosalie, but he could now see how convenient it is to have it._

_Peter rolled his eyes, "Emmett is ridiculous. Come on, how insane does this sound? 'Through my stomach is where you'll reach my heart, but under the denim in a red sea of wonderful is where you'll discover my mind.' Who the hell says stuff like that?"_

_Edward chuckled, "Emmett."_

_No one replied to him, just glared at him. They were still pissed at him for asking Bella out and they weren't going to pretend to be anything but. Edward sighed and headed back for the car and decided he wouldn't say anything else to them.  
Unlike the girls, they would sabotage the fun of the game by kicking Edward's ass if it came down to that. _

"_I say, let's just do the second thing and figure out the other ones later." Jasper said, pointing out the fact that there were some directions on the paper in longitude latitude.  
"Char's is basically an export in direction; we should definitely do this first if we plan on winning this thing."_

_Carlisle nodded, "let's do that."_

"_Guys," Peter said as they made their way back to the car, "if the girls win Charlotte won't let me hear the end of it. We do whatever it takes to win."_

"_Agreed," Jasper and Carlisle answered immediately._

* * *

"_I'm sorry! I have no idea what you're all talking about!" The poor, scrawny salesman yelled._

_Peter, Jasper, Carlisle, and Edward all found themselves in sears with the help of the directions and now the sales boy, whose name tag read Rodney, wouldn't give them the information they needed and they were officially fed up.  
Loosing was just not an option for them._

"_Yes you do, Dammit," Peter growled out, finally having enough he removed the boy from behind the counter and jumped behind there, "destroy!" He yelled._

_Without thinking about what they were doing, the others jumped behind the counter, too, and began to destroy the place.  
Jasper felt something brush up against his leg and he turned around to see that it was Edward, who had accidently kicked him. Using that as an excuse, Jasper growled and jumped on Edward, then proceeded to beat him up._

"_FREEZE!"_

_The four male vampires stopped suddenly and looked up slowly to see about ten security guards surrounding them, guns drawn.  
"Uh-oh," Peter muttered so only they could hear._

* * *

"_This is your entire fault," Peter growled at Jasper, "if you hadn't suggested we skip ahead we wouldn't be in this mess."_

_Jasper glared at Peter, "if you would have let me looked at the directions, too, instead of declaring you knew what you were doing we wouldn't even have gone to sears in the first fuckin' place!"_

_Carlisle nodded, "this is your fault, Peter. If you hadn't of yelled 'destroy' we wouldn't be in this mess."_

"_If you all had just listened to me when I said the boy was telling the truth we wouldn't be in the back of a squad car, now would we?" Edward snapped, fed up with their arguing._

_They all glared at him and went to tell him off when the cop who was outside got fed up with them, "If you four just stayed away and kept your head out of your asses you wouldn't be in this mess! The blame is on all four of you. God, you guys are worse than a bunch of women who just got arrested at a strip club. Just shut the hell up until we get back to the station."_

"_Well then," they all said together when he slammed the door shut._

…

"_Emmett isn't answering his phone," Carlisle sighed as he walked back into the cell._

_Peter groaned, "You called Emmett? Of course he isn't going to answer his phone; Geez that was our only phone call man!"_

_Carlisle glared, "Well would you rather I have called the girls first? No, by the look on your face, you wouldn't have. Now, we'll just wait a few hours and then say we need our one phone call, they should have forgotten by then."_

_The guys all nodded, "hopefully."_

* * *

Emmett didn't say anything when I finished the story and I didn't really expect him to. I mean, there's not much you can say after hearing something like that.

"So, they've been in jail for the entire six hours you girls were out actually doing the _scavenger hunt_?"

"Pretty much, yes," I agreed.

He sighed, "Wow, whatever. Okay, if I decide to come and bail you guys out I'll see you in thirty minutes. If not, I'll see you whenever they let you out of prison."

He hung on me and I just stared at the phone in shock.  
"Five minutes is up, ma'am," the kind officer told me.

I smiled at him and stood up, "thanks officer."

He escorted me back to my cell and when I got inside I went at sat between Jasper and Charlotte and sighed, "I'm not sure he's coming, but he said if he does decide to bail us out of jail he'll be here in thirty minutes."

"Wow," Esme said sadly, "he's really pissed, huh?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, he didn't let his emotions show, but he probably is. You know how serious Emmett takes his gaming."

Everyone nodded.

Jasper put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. It was a strange, and random, gesture but I wasn't going to protest it.  
I snorted, "You seriously beat up Edward because he kicked you?"

Jasper shrugged, "I did."

I got the feeling he didn't want to elaborate on the real reason so I let it go with a chuckle.

…

It was another thirty minutes before Emmett finally decided to come bail us out and once we saw him we were all surprised to see the big grin on his face.  
"You guys all got arrested…"

We laughed with him, it was pretty funny.

"NYMPHOMANIAC, EMMETT, ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Rosalie suddenly screeched.

His grin left his face and we each grabbed a guys hand and took off running out the building. Rosalie may not be leaving.  
"What was that all about?"

Esme chuckled, "we're not even going to get into that."

"So, becoming a stripped Esme?" Peter asked her, smirking and waggling his eye brows.

Esme looked like she would be blushing if she could right now, so Charlotte decided to save her, "forget the reason we were in jail and we'll forget the reason y'all were in jail."

Carlisle scrunched up his face, "we were in jail? I thought we were just visiting."

We laughed and as we all went to our separate cars I grinned, "Well, look on the bright side, we're all _officially gangster_."


	18. Chapter 18: Hide and Go Seek

_**Highway to Hell  
**__A/N: So, this is the second to last chapter dealing with family fun week because…you'll see. Hope last chapter was as good for y'all as it was for me –winky face—  
NOTE: Bella's POV. This is a short chapter. Next one will be longer_

_DC: I do not own Twilight or anything dealing with the series.  
UPDATE: Sorry I couldn't get this to y'all yesterday, but it's up today and hopefully I can get the next one up by Friday._

* * *

_**Chapter 18: Hide and Go Seek /Forgiveness**_

* * *

Carlisle cleared his throat, "seeing as how our last team game went south…"  
I snorted, that doesn't even describe what happened yesterday. Carlisle continued as if he didn't hear me, "Esme and I decided to just kick the bucket on the first hat. We'll make a team of partners and then we'll choose the game and location."

"I choose Jasper!" Emmett called immediately.

I narrowed my eyes at him and he smirked; bastard knew I was going to pick him. Jasper looked at me with a raised eyebrow and then back to Emmett, then back to me and I shook my head. I was so not going to explain to Jasper why my emotions suddenly displayed betrayal and possessiveness. Hell, I didn't even know why, exactly.

"Charlotte," Peter said immediately, "I like fighting _with_ you baby, not _against_ you."

I scrunched up my face and looked away from the happy couple. I rather _not_ see my parents make-out like they're my age, or something. You'd think they'd know by now that no one wants to see a couple, who are almost a century old, make-out. Obviously, they don't care and have no shame.

"Esme," Rosalie said, smirking at Carlisle when he frowned at her.

"I'll take Edward, I guess," Carlisle said after awhile.

I looked at all the partnered up people and then at the last person who wasn't partnered up. "Ah hell," I sighed and went over to sit by Alice on the couch.

"Hi Bella," Alice said quietly.

I nodded my head sharply and turned away from her. I scowled, "does anyone want to switch? I really don't think this is going to work."

"No!" Alice shouted, "I, I mean I want us to stay partners. I want to talk to you," she told me.

I stared at her for a moment then turned to look at Jasper who nodded his head sharply; Alice was being sincere. I sighed and nodded, "okay."

"Alright," Emmett boomed, clapping his hands together, "we're picking first!"

Esme stood up, "why do you get to pick? It was your game we plaid yesterday."

"You mean the game you ruined?" Emmett asked, challenging his mother.

Esme narrowed her eyes and stepped closer, but after a minute sat back down and accepted defeat as gracefully as a lady could.  
"This isn't fair, I'm the mother!" She pouted.

Laughing, Emmett stuck his hand in the first hat, "_Hide and Go Seek_," he announced to us all, showing the paper so we could see for ourselves.  
Jasper stuck his hand in the next hat, "Forks Forest."

He didn't bother showing us his paper like Emmett, but we believed him. Jasper wasn't the one for lying...

"How the hell are we going to do that? You guys have the smelling of a dog," I said, and giggled when they growled at me because I just realized what I said, "you guys have the smelling of a vampire and that's far better than a human's nose," I amended.

Peter grinned at me, "I think I know exactly how they do this."

* * *

"Hell. No." I bit out stubbornly, "I'm not doing it.

"Come on Bella, if I can do it so can you!" Rosalie chided me.

I glared, "you can't get sick, you can't get bit, and you can't suffocate!"

Jasper gave me his infamous 'WTF' face, "why the hell would you suffocate?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, it could go up my nose and in my mouth, or something."

How exactly do vampires play Hide and Go Seek when they have super sharp senses? They roll around in mud and then paint their faces and shit to 'blend' in with their surroundings and mask their scents. Seriously, I feel like an eye year old boy on his first boy-scout trip away from home.  
Not the best feeling in the world for a seventeen year old girl.

"We won't let you suffocate, if you get sick you get to be a diva for a day, and if you get bit in mud or out—stop complaining," Rosalie snapped.

I rolled my eyes. Geez, they're all acting like I do this type of stuff _all_ the time. This, seriously, is my only clichéd girl thing about me.  
Seeing as how I wasn't going to get out of this, I sighed and jumped into the pond of mud and rolled around a few times before standing up and wiping the mud away from my eyes. "Happy?" I asked.

A mud covered Peter ran over to me and hugged me, "you're alive! I thought you weren't going to make it, baby cakes!"

I rolled my eyes and the others laughed at this and Peter finally put me down.  
I looked towards Carlisle and Edward, the only non-covered in mud people here, and awaited instructions.

"Well," Carlisle started, "like a normal game of Hide and Go Seek, we will count to a number, 50, giving you all time to hide before we come looking for you. You and your partner can go anywhere in the forest, obviously, but you must stay at least one-hundred feet away from the La Push border, just so we don't start any problems."

We all nodded and both men closed their eyes before turning around and began counting. Everyone took off except for me and Alice.  
"Do you want to run or do you want me to carry you?" Alice asked.

"Are you going to drop me to my death?" I asked her seriously.

"No," Alice answered quickly, "I'm not."

I shrugged, "then it looks like you're carrying me; at least until we get far enough away from them and you think it's safe for me to walk."

Alice nodded and turned so I could get on her back. It was so nice that she was short. I snickered at that thought quickly jumped up on her back, only having a few seconds to lock my arms and legs around her body before she took off at full speed into the forest.

…

By time Alice finally slowed down it felt like we'd been running for hours, but really, it had only been ten minutes.  
I slid off her back and we continued to walk from there for a few more minutes before she stopped, "here is good. We're two-hundred yards away from Carlisle and Edward and three-hundred feet away from the La Push border."

I nodded. This forest was bigger than I realized. We rolled up under a bush, facing each other, and just…became one with nature while we waited before Alice sighed.  
"I'm sorry," she said so quietly that I almost didn't catch her.

"Come again?" I said.

The pixie rolled her eyes, "I'm Sorry. For treating you the way I have and for accusing you of lying about what those guys did to you. It was none of my business and I should have just left it alone."

"You should have," I snapped, feeling my body stiffen at the still too sore subject.  
Alice sighed, "I am sorry, Bella, so sorry. What I did and said was so foul and stupid beyond belief and now Rosalie and my mom won't even talk to me and I don't know why."

My eyes narrowed at that, "you don't know why? You—you accused me of lying about being raped! You said I put those guys in jail on false accusations and have been calling me a whore for something that my parents have been trying to convince me since it happened wasn't my fault! That didn't just hurt me, but them too!  
You hurt Rosalie and Esme just as much as you hurt me, if not more, because they trusted you!

Did you not listen to what Esme said to you afterwards? How she said that you accusing me of lying is like saying that Rosalie asked for what she got, or that Esme murdered her child! Hearing you accuse me of lying made them think that maybe you think their lying, too, that maybe you never believe them

That maybe, just maybe, you let them put their trust in you only to use it against them when you could.  
And Charlotte, with everything that has happened in her past, of course she's going to want to kick _your_ ass."

Alice's eyes were now wide as she listened to my rant and I shook my head, "do you see now? Do you see why they're not speaking with you?"

She nodded, "I feel like such an even bigger asshole then before…"

"You should," I chuckled, "but I forgive you. Just don't make me regret that decision, okay?"

"Of course not," she agreed.

I felt something grab my leg and I opened my mouth to scream but Alice quickly covered my mouth, "it's only Jasper."

I nodded and she removed her hand from my mouth and I turned my head to see Jasper and Emmett behind me, "what the hell?"

Emmett snickered quietly as he and Jasper made their way under our bush with us, "you two were being loud. Carlisle and Edward are close by," he whispered.

I nodded and laid my head on my fist.

…..  
_***Five Minutes Later***_

"This," Jasper drawled slowly, his southern twang thick, "is borin'."

We all nodded. "There's obviously a reason people stop playing this game at a certain age," I said.

"Definitely."

I opened my mouth to make a random joke about their age when there was suddenly something locked around my ankle and I was being dragged from under my bush.  
I didn't stop screaming until I came face-to-face with a grinning Carlisle, who was dangling me upside in front of him as if I weighed nothing; which, to a vampire, I guess I don't.

"Gotcha," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes, "that's because I let you. Remember that," I told him seriously.

He laughed loudly, "whatever you say, Bella."

He put me down on my feet and Emmett, Jasper, and Alice came out of their hiding spots, too. "So, we find your parents and Esme and Rosalie and then we call it a day?"

"Yes," we all answered immediately.  
This game just wasn't fun; maybe if we didn't have to roll around in the fucking mud, or maybe if it were somewhere other than the forest. Or, maybe, if were longer than thirty minutes.

We started walking back the way we came since both Alice and Jasper confirmed that no one went pass us when I suddenly found myself face down in the mud. Again!  
"What the fuck did I trip over?" I groaned, taking the hand that was placed in front of me. When I stood up I realized it was Jasper and I gave him a grin before looking down and scowling.

"Hey, if Bells didn't trip you guys would have never been found," Emmett boomed proudly, picking up his mate from the ground and giving her a big hug.

Esme stood up next and walked over to Carlisle, putting her arm around his waist, "it was Rosalie's idea. Said you guys wouldn't expect that so we gave it a shot. Why are you so clumsy, dear?" She asked me, smiling sweetly.

I shook my head and couldn't help the chuckle that came out. Carlisle and Esme seem like the most non-competitive, non-violent, and non-gangster people ever, but they have proved me very wrong in just two days.  
Obviously, competition brings out the best in people.

My ears suddenly perked up and I started walking towards a group of trees, "I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Alice said in a warning tone.

I shrugged and kept going, but immediately wished I had heeded her warning. Slapping my hand over my eyes, I back up until and I tripped over a tree and I'm pretty sure I started screaming.  
"Oh, dear God, oh God, oh God, oh my God," I cried.

Rosalie scoffed at me in amusement, "calm down, Bella."

I screeched, "Don't tell me to calm down! I'm freaking the fuck out, man!"

"Which is exactly why you need to calm down," said Jasper.

I shook my head, now scrubbing at my eyes, "I—I saw…God, it was horrible. Peter's ass is horrible, so is my mother's and just…all of their lower halfff," I whined. "It was horrible."

There's was laughter all around me and I finally opened my eyes, just to glare at them.  
"I told you not to go there," Alice said.

"Since you're my friend now there's something you need to know: never tell me 'I told you so.' It's the friend code, friends aren't supposed to say that!"

"Friends?" Rosalie, Esme, and now accompanied by Charlotte, all screamed.

I shrugged, "She apologized, I forgave her—she'll never do it again. We've got this understanding thing going on, now."

Alice nodded, "I did, and I won't. Also, Rosalie, Esme, and Charlotte, I am so sorry for making you girls feel bad about the past that you all are already trying to forget. I won't do it again, I promise."

The girls all stared at me and I shrugged; this decision was up to them, not me.

With a sigh, Charlotte rolled her eyes and went up to Alice and gave her a hug, "Fine, whatever, I'll forgive you. Just don't expect me to apologize."

Alice hugged back, "Of course not."

"As long as you realize your mistake," Esme cooed, rushing over to join in on the hug, "I forgive you, too."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "don't expect me to apologize for the way I've acted towards you and don't expect me to all of a sudden _not _want to kick your ass just because you apologize."

Alice nodded, "Okay."

With another eye roll and a sigh Rosalie went over and joined the hug before announcing, "this is gay."

"Not that there is anything wrong with being gay," Emmett said.  
He was replying to what his mate and wife had said, but looking pointedly at Edward who only glared back at him.

I chuckled, "I am so glad I get to miss school for this. Seriously, you guys are awesome."

"I know!" Peter squealed.

I looked at him, ready to laugh loud and long, but looking at Peter made me want to throw up; my parents having sex, in the wild, replaying over and over in my head. I shuddered and turned away from him and began walking, "I'll never be able to look at you the same, dad!"

He laughed, "You will one day!"

"Don't count on it!" I yelled back, laughing now.


	19. Chapter 19: Twenty Questions

_**Highway to Hell**_

_A/N: I know it's later than y'all expected, but I was stuck! I didn't know what to make the next game (because the next one after this is when all the drama starts). I also didn't know how to make it as funny as the other ones. But, I think I did justice on this chapter and I hope y'all like it._

_DC: I don't own TWILIGHT or anything dealing with the SERIES, but it almost completely owns me. Almost. Jackson has all of me ;)  
NOTE: This is Bella's pov and the last chapter of non-drama. I'm ready to get this show on the road! Oh, and I put in some much needed Jasper-Bella fluff. Not very fluffy, but fluffy-esque, I guess._

_**UPDATED| 2.2.2012: RE-WRITTEN CHAPTER **_

_Chapter 19: Twenty Questions_

* * *

'_They never end badly like this,'_ Esme had told me, but I wasn't convinced. How could I be after the last two days?  
First we, every single one of us, end up in jail, then, I see my parents having sex! For God's sakes, I couldn't sleep that night because every time I closed my eyes I saw Peter's ass; not something I want to see when I go to sleep.  
_'I'll make sure that everyone is on their best behavior,'_ she had said, hoping I would be swayed to continue on with the family fun week.

I was, but I didn't tell her it was _her_ behavior that I was really scared for.

And that's how I ended up sitting in the living room belonging to the Cullen's, sitting around a coffee table with a big bottle of vodka and shot glasses sitting in the middle of it.  
"Are we really about to let Bella take shots?" Charlotte said, looking at Peter worriedly.

He nodded. "Yes. She's a good kid, so she shouldn't need to take a shot," Peter told her, but he was looking at me with a pointed look; trying to guilt me into being honest with every question I would be asked.

I rolled my eyes.

It was Rosalie's turn to pick the game and, in a very lady-like fashion, she snorted and kicked—literally—the hat to the curb and declared loudly that we were to play _twenty questions_. It's okay, though, because, apparently, she does this every year; choosing the game this way, not choosing this game.

"Let's get started before Mom decides not to let me play," I said.  
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. We were all ready for this game, though I'm sure they all knew, like I did, this would not end well.  
With all of us playing, there was no chance in hell.

"Are there any rules that need to be established before we begin?" Rosalie asked, though by the look on her face it was obvious she hoped we'd all say no.

We shrugged, "No, not really. Answer the question honestly or drown that Vodka," Emmett answered.

Alice looked unsure, "Maybe we should ban—"

"No way, that'll just take the whole point of us playing this game away," Rosalie stopped whatever Alice was going to say in her tracks, "and, you need to shut your little gift off or whatever, Alice, No future seeing tonight. Edward, no mind reading"

Edward shrugged.

"Yea, sure, Rosalie, we'll just turn the little switch in our heads off for the night," Alice rolled her eyes.

"Great," Emmett chimed.

"We can do it this way: everyone gets one free pass, meaning you don't have to take a shot. After that, if you refuse to answer the question, you take a shot and a dare from the person who asked you the question. Got it?" Rosalie said, waiting for any objections.

We all nodded.

"I have one question, though. Is there a rule on the type of dares we give or—"

"Maybe we should ban all questions and dares dealing with sex or something that will permanently embarrass us for the rest of our lives," Esme cut off Emmett with only a little bit of hope in her eyes. She knew it was useless to hope for something as wonderful as that.

I rolled my eyes.  
"Can we get started now?"

Everyone nodded and Emmett grinned, "I want to go first."

"Dear God," came from everyone around me.  
We all took a shot before re-pouring the drinks.

Emmett rolled his eyes, something we all seemed to be doing a lot tonight, "Geez, you guys wound me."

"Get on with the game, Emmett," Edward snapped, tired of Emmett's dramatics.

"I choose….Esme," he said, dropping his voice to a low whisper, waggling his eyebrows furiously as a slow, menacing grin makes its way to his face.

Esme visibly shuddered and her eyes darted between her shot glass, her husband, Emmett and then repeated the rotation a few times before looking back at Emmett.  
I wanted to laugh; truly I did, but the poor woman just look so frightened that I couldn't laugh.

"Okay," she said bravely.

"What is your favorite sex position?" Emmett asked, grinning.

Esme gasped, her eyes widened in shock and I'm sure if she could blush she would be at this moment. "What—I, you," She stuttered out.

"Answer or pass, Esme," He said.

"I pass," she said, grinning at Emmett.

He'd never know.  
He pouted.

I grinned, "Carlisle, what's Esme's favorite sex position?"

"Doggy," he said immediately, then his eyes widened when he realized what he'd said, "I, um, oh shit, Esme, don't do that!"

He yelled just as Esme lunged at him from across the table and tackled him to the floor, hitting him in the chest with her first, "How could you! If _I_ pass _you_ pass!"

"Oh yea," my dad grinned, fist bumping Emmett and Jasper who were sitting close by him, "this is going to be fun."

* * *

"Bella, since yesterday, how many times have you masturbated to the image of Jasper after you walked in on him in the bathroom?" Rosalie asked me with a super bitchy smile on her face.  
I don't know what she was up to, but I didn't like it.

I choked on a really big piece of pickle, and the irony of that did not escape me—or anyone else for that matter—and felt my face heat up like a Texas summer.  
_Bitch! _I knew, without a doubt, that she could see me yelling the word at her, repeatedly, in my eyes. Hell, I'd only be mildly surprised if she told me she could hear me yelling it at her.

When I looked up from my lap I couldn't help the snort that escaped my mouth when I saw everyone's face: Jasper was just as stunned as me by the question, Peter looked pissed, Charlotte, for some reason, couldn't wipe that stupid, creepy as all hell grin off her face and everyone else looked immensely stupid as they tried to stop themselves from laughing out loud.

I'm surprised their faces haven't gone red, yet.

"Um, err, I—I haven't," I stuttered out.  
It was a lie and I didn't appreciate the fact that Jasper was smirking at me, completely blowing my cover. I glared at him and he chuckled.

"Bella," Peter said, his hand flying to his heart and his eyes widening in shock, "you didn't!"

I rolled my eyes, "'Course I didn't dad."

Everyone stared at me and I knew the blush was a dead giveaway. "Jesus," I muttered and took my shot.  
No way in hell was I going to answer that question.

It was after we'd gotten home from the woods. Their house was the closest and everyone was on agreement when I let it be known that mud didn't feel good anywhere under the clothes. There were five bathrooms: guest bathroom downstairs, family bathroom upstairs, Esme and Carlisle's bathroom, Edward's bathroom, and Jasper's bathroom.  
Edward, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme immediately went to their separate bathrooms, Charlotte and Peter took the guest bathroom downstairs, and Emmett and Rosalie took the family bathroom that was across from their room. That left me and Alice the only two people without a bathroom.

***FLASHBACK***

_It had only been five minutes since everyone separated to get cleaned up, but Bella seriously had to pee and she knew she couldn't hold it for much longer.  
"I have to pee," she whined, crossing her legs and bouncing up and down where she was standing._

"_Well, go in the bushes or something," Alice said, "I hear human's do that all the time."_

"_But not happily!"Bella protested._

_She already had mud riding up in the most uncomfortable places; she didn't need to have something **crawl** upher, too!_

_Alice cocked her head to the side, chuckling," Jasper just got out the shower—I can hear him getting dressed. Go—"_

_Before Alice could finish, Bella was running up the stairs. She threw his room door open and then proceeded to do the same to his bathroom, only to stop mid-step, wide-eyed and mouth gaping; because there he stood, in all his beautifully sculpted, naked glory._

_Her eyes trailed down his body before she registered the movement and she gasped. Even when he was soft, or, at least, as soft as a vampire could be, he was still huge! It had to be at least twelve inches... and thicker than all hell.  
It was every girls dream cock, that's for sure. She also knew that thing would **never** fit in her, even if she wanted it to!_

_Someone cleared their throat and Bella's head snapped up immediately and she blushed for being caught ogling.  
When she looked up at Jasper she almost laughed; she would have, had the situation not been so serious. His eyes were wide and he was pretty much frozen; she also realized that he'd covered up with a towel. _

_She blushed even more and turned around quickly— peeing forgotten— ready to leave, only to run into a brick wall.  
She looked up and, if she wasn't ready to die before, she was now, as she looked into the eyes of her big brother._

***END of FLASHBACK***

"You totally have!" Rosalie screeched, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I rolled my eyes and glared, "Next question!"

Charlotte shook her head, "Bella, you're—"

"Moving on, just like you should be, mother," I snapped at her, ready to move the hell on with this game already.  
"No, you know what? This whole 'family-fun' week has been nothing but bullshit. I'm going the fuck home; y'all can continue this on Y'alls own."

I stood up, grabbing my overnight bag, and headed for the door.  
Am I overreacting? Probably, but those fuckers don't know when to quit! They don't know when someone has had enough and they don't know when to choose a new target. They keep messing with the person, crackin' jokes and laughin' until someone finally snaps.  
Am I being super, over-the-top, unnecessarily dramatic? Definitely, but I've had enough of them.  
For Christ sakes, even _Esme_ was laughing!

"You can't walk home!"

Oh, this was rich.

"Watch me!"

"At least let me give you a ride."

I chuckled darkly and shook my head. Even richer.  
I continued walking down the path until a car pulled up beside me, "Get in the fuckin' car, Bella,"

"Bella, get in the car!"

I shook my head furiously, "If you go all 50 cent on me with your next sentence I'll…I'll do something!"  
I threatened.

"Bitch, get in my car?" He demanded, though it came out as more of a question than anything.

I glared at him but continued walking. I set myself up for that one.  
"Really, you don't have to be embarrassed! I'm flattered."

I stopped walking and turned to face Jasper, who was smiling at me softly. I felt myself softening though I didn't let it show, even though I'm sure he could feel it being an Empath and all, "I'm glad my embarrassment flatters you so much."

He rolled his eyes, "That's not what I meant."

"I know."

"Are you going to let me drive you home now or are you going to walk the rest of the way?"

"Since you're here," I said.  
I threw my bag in the backseat and quickly got into the passenger side, "I don't need a lecture. I already know I'm being over-dramatic and acting like a teenage girl and blah blah blah," I muttered, looking out the window.

Jasper snorted, "I'm not Peter—I'd never dare to accuse you of acting like a teenage girl; I've seen the doghouse you put him in and I'm not your mother; I can't lecture you.  
Though, I will tell you that Esme is contemplating bringing the Rents Tip jar back out."

He snickered and I shook my head. Am I the only one feeling awkward right now? From the corner of my eye I could see Jasper staring at me, grinning. Yep. That answers my question.

"So, what's your favorite color?" He asked randomly as we pulled out of his driveway and onto the main road.

"Onyx," I said without thinking.

"Onyx?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Keep your eyes on the road! Yes, onyx. What's your favorite color?"

"Chocolate brown," he said, smiling at me.

I bit my bottom lip and looked down, blushing madly and, try as I might, couldn't stop the stupid grin from taking over my face.  
Was Jasper Whitlock flirting with me?  
"Best kiss you've ever had?" I asked him, once I was able to look at him again without blushing.

He gave me a panty-ruining smirk and hit me with a small dose of mischievousness, "Hasn't happened yet."

Yep; definitely flirting.

Our game of twenty questions continued until we got to my house.  
"Are you going to come inside?"

He nodded and turned off the Mercedes. He grabbed my bags and we walked into my house where I headed straight for the kitchen.  
"Are you really ready to start...Um, dating again?" Jasper asked quietly.

My hands froze in front of my face, the really hot pizza so close to my mouth. I put it down as my hands began to burn and looked at Jasper, "Um, yea, I guess. I figure if I don't make myself ready now, I'll never be—you know?"

He shook his head, "I don't know. It doesn't make sense to either one of us as to why you're forcing yourself. Not being ready now doesn't mean you'll never be ready—just means the right guy hasn't come along yet to make you believe all guys aren't monsters."

I took a big bite of my pizza. Our game is obviously over.  
"I'm not sure I want to stick around for the rest of this conversation," I admitted.

"Bella," Jasper said, nervously running his hand through his hair a few times. This surprised me, because he's always the one cool, calm, and collected; never phased, "I told Peter that I'd give you another week before I told you, but—"

"Told me what?" I interrupted.

He scowled at me, "But then Charlotte practically bit my head off and told me I need to man up, so that's what I'm going to do. Bella, I—"

"Man up for what? Did Char rip dad a new one, too? Because, I mean, if he told you one thing and she said no, you need to man up, I can't imagine her just leaving him be. Are you trying to tell me—"

The glare he shot me cut off my rambling and I stopped talking; he obviously doesn't like to be interrupted, but if I didn't cut him off it would have been the people who were barging into my kitchen at the moment.

"BELLA, WE'RE SORRY!" Rosalie yelled, "I'M SORRY!"

I backed up away from her because she was really close. "WHY ARE YOU YELLING?" I yelled back at her and she rolled my eyes at my ridiculousness. "What? You were yelling at me."

"Sorry," she said, "I'm sorry. That was totes out of line."

I rolled my eyes, "Apologizing isn't really helping, you know. It's making it worse."

"I told you so!" Emmett boomed.

Peter and Charlotte gave me sheepish smiles, "We're sorry."

I shrugged. I was beyond embarrassed and completely over it, I just wanted everyone else to forget about it (though that was not likely since they're vampires) so we could all move on.  
"I'm not." Esme smirked when the others looked at her in shock. She shrugged, "She got me and I watched happily as she got hers. We're even."

"We're obviously being a bad influence on sweet Esme," Emmett sighed, shaking his head, "she's going all Rihanna on us; Good Girl Gone Bad and all that shit."

There were laughs all around the room after that and conversation flowed easily. They didn't have to ask if they were forgiven because they knew they were. I couldn't stay angry at them for long.  
"So, are we going to move on to the next game?" Rosalie asked, "Carlisle chose this one on the way over if you're up for it."

Everyone looked at me and I feigned a sigh of exasperation before shrugging with a grin, "Oh, what the hell. I already knew the last one wasn't going to end well; I shouldn't have been surprised when it didn't. Let's do it!"

"That's my girl!" Peter yelled, kissing me on the head before walking out of the kitchen with the others, who were all talking excitedly about what the next game was.

That left Jasper and I alone and I was glad to see that all the awkwardness I felt around him earlier was gone.  
"I'm confused," Jasper said after a moment of staring at me. I'd found a permanent marker and written down the number three on his palm.

I felt bad that he didn't get to tell me what he wanted to and knew he wouldn't tell me now because he obviously wanted it to be done in private, so I figured I'd tell him my secret to make up for him not being able to tell me his.  
"Once in the shower, two left for your imagination." I smirked.  
I took a bite of my pizza and walked away, leaving him speechless and gaping like a fish. I sashayed out of the room and gave my hips a little extra swing, just for him.


	20. Chapter 20: The Missing Ruby, Damned

_**Highway to Hell  
**_A|N: _Hey y'all, I know it has been a LONG TIME since I've updated this story and that's not fair to y'all especially since I've been updating my other one. I'm back now, though, and I'm serious. I want to get done with this so I can say I've finished my very first story! From here on out I'm hoping my writing becomes clearer and I've been working on my grammar so I think that's improved tremendously! YAY! Lol._

**PLEASE READ: If you're on old reader, meaning you've been here from the beginning or since before I posted this chapter, please go back to the previous chapter and read it again! I fixed the mistakes I found AND I changed the ending. I was pissed with myself after that chapter because I completely fucked up the entire story. I went away from what I had planned and took the feistiness away from Bella! Since I've changed that chapter, I can go back and write this chapter and the upcoming ones the way I originally planned. I'm back on track and I don't plan on getting off until the very last sentence of this story.**_ Phew, glad that's out of the way. With all that said I'm ready to get back to writing/updating this story! So…let's begin.  
NOTE: I got very descriptive in this chapter with the challenges, which is most of the reason why it's so long. My favorite part of this chapter is the second title. _

**Chapter 20: The Missing Ruby/ Damned it All to Hell **

* * *

Jasper walked out of the kitchen and he seemed to still be in shock as he stared at me with wide eyes. I raised an eyebrow and smirked, waiting for him to say something, but he never did so I figured he got over it. I chuckled.  
"So, what are we doing next?" Charlotte asked, "I wasn't listening."

Everyone screwed up their faces and looked at her, WTF written all over them. She shrugged not at all caring that we all think she's crazy. Peter and I just shrugged when they looked at us next because we were used to it; she zones out sometimes. Peter and I like to joke that it's another gift of hers besides being able to see relationships between people, because, seriously, it's got to be a gift for a vampire to now know what's going on around them.

"We're going to play a game called _The Missing Ruby_," Carlisle explained. "I have a red ruby and when we get back to my house, I'm going to hide it in a safe. You break up into teams and the point of the game is to go be the first team to go through a series of obstacles and get the ruby to win. A prize will be awarded to the winning team."

"What's the prize?" I asked. I was actually excited for this game.

Carlisle shrugged, "I'm not sure. I haven't figured that out yet, but it'll be something nice."

"So, we're doing teams. Who are we going to choose as team captains?" Edward asked.

"I chose Bella," Esme said.

"I chose Peter," Edward countered her.

Carlisle looked around, asking if anybody had any objections to that. When everyone said no he clapped his hands and stood up, "Alright, team captains make your way to the front of the room and pick your players."

"Are you playing?" I asked as Peter and I made our way to the front of the room.

"Nope, that would be considered a conflict of interest since I know how to get passed everything," Carlisle shrugged.

We nodded and Carlisle told us to go ahead and start choosing.  
"Esme," I called her first since she's the reason I was captain in the first place.

"Edward," Peter said.

The two of them made their way over to us and Peter and I got seriously competitive to get the best people.  
"Jasper," I glared at Peter.

"Alice," Peter glared back.

"Charlotte," I smirked.

"Emmett," Peter countered.

"Rose," I raised an eyebrow because the best got picked last. I had the most competitive people on my team; there was no way he was winning.

"Thanks for picking me last, Bella," Rosalie grunted.

I smiled, "I always save the best for last, toots." She grinned at me and I laughed.

"That's not fair, she has four people and we only have three!" Peter complained.

"Aw, is one extra person too much for the big bad Captain of the South?" I pinched his cheeks and shook my head lightly at him as if he were a little baby.

Peter slapped my hand away from me and glared, "No."

"Then stop acting like it is," Charlotte snapped at him. "Oh yea, baby, your ass is going down."

"Only after you," Peter countered his voice and smug smile thick with sexual innuendo.

I shuttered, "Ewe."

"You know what's not fair?" Rosalie said suddenly, "he has the mind reader and seer."

Jasper spoke up, "Simple solution, really. Alice can't see Bella so when you make a decision to do something make sure you include Bella, even if she's got nothing to do with it. And as for Edward, he doesn't like to be in _our _heads in particular and he can't even get in hers so we ain't gotta worry 'bout it." I chuckled quietly as his southern accent peaked through, especially when he said worry. There was no 'Y,' 'O,' or double 'R', it was wur. _So we ain't gotta wur 'bout it._ He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I chuckled again and shook my head. He didn't even realize it happened.

"Alright, now that that's over let's roll out and get this game started," Emmett cheered, channeling his inner Alice; bouncing excitedly on his toes and clapping. He realized this and stopped immediately and cleared his throat, "I mean, uh, let's roll out bitches."

There were snorts all around the room and Rosalie patted his shoulder in sympathy, "Smooth, baby, real smooth."

"Hey, wait, we can't suddenly go all James Bond without having the black, made for sneaking around, but super cute spy outfits," Charlotte said. "Bella and I have clothes for moments like these and we're going to go change."

"You guys have clothes for moments like these," Edward said dryly, nodding his head and frowning.

I grinned, "We do. We've never worn them either because we never had a moment like this. You know what they say, some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this and we've finally got ours!"

There were chuckles all around and Charlotte grabbed my hand and began leading me up the stairs. "Come on girls! We have plenty of stuff for y'all to wear, too! You men, too—I told you getting men stuff would come in handy, Peter." Charlotte stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled as we all made our way upstairs into separate room.

"Leather's always sexy on woman! Especially when they're fighting or something," Peter yelled before his room door was slammed shut.

"No one said anything about leather, Peter! Just black," Charlotte yelled.

"Whatever, it's still going to be tight so that's all that matters," he yelled back.

Charlotte shut and locked my room door and immediately headed over to my closet. "Okay, here's what we got."

~_**HTH**_~

"These are pretty awesome," Rosalie said as she checked herself out in the mirror. She wore a leather catwoman-like suit (without the mask) that had zippers on it in different places with suede black high-heeled boots with leather straps wrapping around them until they buckled down at the bottom. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and she wore a bitchy little smirk on her blood red lips.

Alice laughed, "I agree." She had on a black mini-leather skirt, black leather flats, and a black crop-top with red lips on them. "Leather to the extreme without going overboard; I like it."

Charlotte, Esme, and I were the only ones who weren't dressed yet. Charlotte put big, wild curls in her hair and then tied some up into a bun and let the rest hang down before she began to pick out her outfit. "I'm thinking this leather dress, with those sheer pantyhose and these pumps." She laid down her outfit on the bed and we all studied it.  
The dress was black and leather; sleeveless with a scoop neck and pleated skirt. Her shoes were suede and the heel was thick.  
I shook my head. "Wear the tattered stockings and your combat boots and you're good to go," I told her. She went to the closet and got out what I suggested and quickly put them on, checking herself in the mirror.

"Definitely better than what I had picked out," she agreed, "it's edgier but still cute. I'm going to have to wear this out even after James Bond day."

"And I may have to borrow it," Rosalie and I said at the same. "You owe me some pumps!" We both shouted at the same time.  
"Damn, we're too alike," I said and she nodded in agreement, "you don't owe me nothing just because of that."

She grinned at me, "So, what are you going to put on?"

I shrugged and looked at the massive amount of clothes that were sitting on my bed, "I'll find something. What about you, Esme? What are you going to wear?"

"Hmm," she mumbled, "what if I wore this?" Esme picked up a leather black air force jumpsuit. Charlotte saw an air force jumpsuit at party city. She liked it and thought it would be perfect for a James Bond night like this, so she went and got it costumed made somewhere in leather and black. She even kept the air force symbols in the right places.

"Whoa, Esme, have you always been that curvy?" I asked when she put it on. I mean, the woman had curves like no other. They went on for fucking years. Marilyn Monroe didn't have curves compared to Esme.

She laughed, "Since I was twenty-two. I lost a lot of weight and this is the result."

"Very hot," Charlotte snorted, "bet Carlisle enjoys that."

Esme laughed and straightened her last piece of hair before putting on the cap that came with the costume, "Get dressed, Bella, so we can get started."

I nodded and began to get dressed. My outfit was simple; black-leather leggings with zippers on the bottom, a black wife-beater that was a size or two too small (purposely) that showed my stomach and back just a tad, and a black leather jacket that stopped mid stomach and showed off the black wife-beater I was wearing. I topped my outfit with some black combat boots and put my hair that Rosalie straightened for me into a side ponytail.

"Well, we're all finished now. I have to go fulfill a fantasy of Peter's; me in leather." Charlotte snickered.

The others giggled right alone with her while I gagged, walking away from them as they continued to talk about my parents and sex. There was nothing wrong with my parents and I don't believe there is anything wrong with sex for other people, but my _parents_ and _sex_ should not be mentioned in the same sentence. It's just not right.

There was a low whistle as we made our way down the stairs and I rolled my eyes. "Awe, sookie, sookie now," Peter cheered. He grabbed Charlotte and Rosalie's hand and spun them around, "Looking good, Ladies, looking good."

Peter was wearing a black, long-sleeved sweater with dark black jeans and leather converse (black.) Edward was wearing a black short-sleeved t-shirt with a leather vest on top of it and some dark blue jeans, his normal black sneakers on his feet. Jasper was wearing one of those black leather jackets with the button on a collar-like thing or whatever and had it and rest of the buttons buttoned, black jeans, and combat boots. Obviously, Charlotte, Jasper, and I got the memo while everyone else didn't. Carlisle had on the same white button down dress shirt and khaki's that he was wearing when he got here.

"Where's Emmett?" We all asked.

Neither one of them answered our question, just laughed and tried to cover it up with a cough. "What's so funny?" Rosalie asked Charlotte who was just about dying.

"You remember that time, way before Peter and I got Bella, Emmett fucked with my outfit for the New York ball we were attending back in '61? Well, when I bought the outfits for everyone I made sure to grab an extra special one for Emmett," Charlotte answered.

I gasped, "Mom, no, that was for him?"  
Alice suddenly started cracking up, obviously having had a vision, but before the other two clueless women in the room could ask Emmett's footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.

That did it; Me, Char, and the guys all completely lost it. Our laughter could probably be heard throughout the entire neighborhood we were laughing so hard and loud. The others soon joined when Emmett made his way inside the living room.

"H-Holy shit," Rosalie cried, slowly dying of laughter. "Oh, God, baby, what the hell are you wearing?"

"It isn't funny," Emmett snapped. The expression on his face made it very clear just how embarrassed he was, and if he could be blushing he probably would be. "Fine, laugh it up, but when I'm the reason my team wins I'll be the one laughing when I don't share the prize," he snapped.

He was wearing a black leather jumpsuit that looked tighter than Rosalie's, Charlotte's, Alice's, Esme's and my pants combined. It really didn't leave anything to the imagination.

I chuckled, "Calm down, brother bear, we're just fucking around."

"My God," Esme snapped, "I'm bringing the rent tips jar back out as soon as family fun week is over." "Sorry," I shrugged sheepishly.

"Alright, we all look hot—let's get this show on the road!" Rosalie yelled. This was obviously one of her favorite games.

~_**HTH**_~

* * *

"We need a plan of attack," Jasper said when we got in the car and followed behind the others in Emmett's jeep. How they all managed to fit is beyond me. Jasper and I were in the front seats, him driving and me in the passenger seat, while the other three girls sat in the back, Charlotte in the middle since she was the smaller of the two.

"Oh Lord, the Major's back," Rosalie sighed, but then she suddenly squealed in excitement. "Code-names; Bella, Esme, and I need code names! Jasper's a Major and Charlotte is a _lieutenant__**,**_ but we're not anything and we need a code name since you two have titles."

I laughed, "Yeah! Let's do that, it sounds fun."

Jasper shrugged and the three of us squealed. "You three have any ideas?" Charlotte asked.

"I'm gonna be Blackjack," I said immediately, set on my decision.

"Blackjack," Jasper repeated, staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

I nodded, "Yes, Blackjack. I saw it on this site Rosalie and I were looking at this history site that gave a list of code-names used in the army. Blackjack was used as a code name for a series of special operations in Vietnam."

"Oh yeah, I remember that. Hmm, I want to be Casanova. It was used as a codename in WWII as a diversionary operation by the 95th Infantry Division during operations against Metz," Rosalie piped in.

Charlotte chuckled, "When did y'all look all this up?"

"Yesterday," Rosalie answered. "We were bored and started watching G.I JOE and then I thought Snake Eyes is such an awesome codename and then Bella started talking about code-names and then we just decided to look them up," she explained.

"Wow, really long explanation, Rose," Charlotte laughed.

She shrugged. "Plan of attack, what is it?" She asked.

"Dixie," I said suddenly before Jasper could answer her.

"What?" They all said at the same time.

"Dixie," I repeated, "Esme's codename. DIXIE was a World War II code name for the US observer mission to the Chinese communists. "

"Oh, yea," Rosalie said, "I like that better. I was thinking Cougar."

"What was Cougar used for?" Esme asked curiously.

"Um, COUGAR was a Gulf War code name for an XVIII Airborne Corps area of operations," I explained.

"Oh, I like Dixie better. I prefer to be the observer, the look out, when we're playing these types of games," Esme stated.

I nodded, "I figured, that's why I suggested that one."

"Dixie it is," Charlotte said, "now, the game plan. What are we going to do?"

Jasper shrugged, "Carlisle usually has a different floor plan with these games, so we'll think of one when we get there. I haven't seen this game room, yet."

Before I could ask him what the hell he was talking about with the floor plans and stuff, we pulled into the Cullen driveway and parked outside the garage.  
"All cell phones must be turned off now," Carlisle said seriously. Everyone did as they were told, "Now, if any of you have any bad mouthing to do to your opposing team, do it now because once the game begins you will not have the opportunity until the game is complete."

We all looked at one another, each of us opening and closing our mouths several times before giving up with a shrug. "You all trashed talked back and forth, in separate cars I might add, but now you guys have nothing to say? Minutes before we start the game? Seriously," Carlisle said before mumbling some things that I couldn't understand.

He turned on his heel and walked into the garage, beckoning us with his fingers to follow. We did and I gasped when he pushed a button on a wall next to him and the garage floor began to move backwards. We were then only standing on a glass floor and inside it was a small white room with three doors.  
"This is why millionaires don't stay millionaires," I mumbled, "y'all do shit like this."

Carlisle chuckled, "I'm not in the millionaire category, Bella, so it's okay."

"Rich bastard," I huffed jokingly.

He grinned at me before pulling on the handle that was next to his foot and opening a door that was in the floor that led to some stairs. "After you all," he said, ushering us in—under.

"The name of this game is _The Missing Ruby_. The goal is to be the first team to get through a series of obstacles before reaching the room that contains the ruby. There, you will have one minute to get passed each set of laser beams, or be trapped inside of a room until someone reaches the ruby and returns it to me first," Carlisle explained, "any questions?"

"Nope," we all answered together.

"I'll go through this door here," he pointed to the one behind him, "to watch everyone's progress. Team Bella, you'll be going through that door," he pointed to the door on the left side, "and Team Peter, you'll be going through that door," he pointed to the one on the right. "You may begin."

"This is why folks can never keep their money," I complained when we entered the first room and stopped at our first obstacle.

We were standing against a wall inside of a room. In this room there was no floor, just a dark, seemingly bottomless hole. Our first obstacle seemed easy; get across to the other side with the zip line. With further inspection I realized what made it hard; there was nothing for us to zip across with.  
"Can the zip line even hold Y'alls weight?" I asked after a heartbeat of silence.

"It's strong…" Rosalie trailed off.

"For y'all girls—maybe me too, if we don't put all our weight on it," Jasper said, "Bella, you should be fine.

"Can I get on somebody's back?" I whined, too chicken-shit scared to go across by myself.

"That would make us too heavy," Jasper answered, "If it makes you feel better I'll go first."

I looked at the other three women in the room and then we nodded our heads. Jasper chuckled and pulled himself up on the line. I could tell as he moved down the line that he was putting as little weight as he could on it.

"My turn," Esme declared when Jasper landed on the other side of the room. "This is kind of scary, even for a vampire. I can't see the bottom!" Esme whimpered, "And I was always afraid of heights."

"You got it, Esme!" Rosalie, Charlotte, and I cheered her on and congratulated her when she reached the other side.

"Go, Bella," Charlotte said, "because if you don't go now you never will."

"I don't wanna," I whined and shook my body, bouncing up and down and scrunched up my face. I was throwing a tantrum, but it didn't seem to faze my mother who's seen enough of them from me.

"Bella, go," she pulled out the parent card and gave me the mother finger.

"What if I die?" I asked as I jumped up onto the line, "What if my hands get too tired and I fall? What if I'm too heavy and—"

"Bella," Charlotte, Rosalie, Esme, and Jasper all said at the same time, exasperated.

"I was just trying to make a point," I defended myself as I made my way down slowly.

"You're going to make us all look our age if you don't hurry up, hon." Charlotte scolded.

I huffed and picked up my pace and stopped when I reached the end of the line. "Jump, Bella," Esme said.

"Hell no," I cried, "It would be just like me to miss and fall to my death, or fall to my eternal fall because I'm not sure this hole has a floor."

"Bella," it was Charlotte who was doing the whining now.

"Mommy," I called back, rolling my eyes.

Jasper huffed and rolled his eyes before stepping forward with open arms. "I'll catch you. The way we're going the others are going to win," he huffed.

"Sorry if my fear is getting on your nerves," I snapped back and then looked at my other mother. "Es, will you catch me?" I asked her sweetly.

She grinned at me and moved Jasper out of the way before opening her arms, "Of course, sweets."

I swung myself backwards and then forwards and let go, letting a small shriek escape me before Esme caught me. "There you go, girly, all done."

I smiled at her in thanks, glared at Jasper, then turned around just in time to see Charlotte and Rosalie jumping onto the floor with us, "See, I could've gone down on somebody's back!" I complained.

"It's alright, buddy," Rosalie patted my back in sympathy and then pushed me into the next room.

"Gee," I began sarcastically, "I feel so loved."

"You are," each of them said sweetly, smiling at me like they were the sweetest candy ever. Except for Jasper, he was smirking and it was one of his dangerous smirks. One he always wore when he was up to something.

I raised an eyebrow at him and all he did was shake his head. "Alright, Charlotte, Rosalie, and I've got this one," Jasper said.

"This is why—"

"We go broke," they all said in unison.

I snickered and stayed against the door with Esme when the three of them began to fight the robots that attacked them, while simultaneously trying to hack a code in three separate macbooks'.

"Rose! Behind you," I screamed when another robot came up behind her while she worked on another one. She gave me a firm nod of her head before bringing her knee up and kneeing the fucker in its stomach before using said robot to hit the other one behind her, successfully knocking it out.

"What the fuck?" I cried out in pain when I was suddenly punched in my left arm by a fist that felt as if it were made of steel.  
I looked to my left and there stood a robot, crouched down slightly and beckoning me with its hand.  
"Oh, you're going down." I smirked at it.

I stood up straight and spun around, my right leg coming up immediately and I kicked the fucker in its head, causing it to fall to the ground. I took the metal bat that just happened to placed into this room and began hit it; I didn't stop until the only thing left of it was little pieces.  
"iRobot always gave me nightmares," I admitted when the others were looking at me in shock and shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm just gonna…" Jasper trailed off as he took the bat away from me slowly; cautiously.

I huffed, "Are we ready to move onto the next rooms yet?"

Rosalie and Charlotte nodded and stood up a few seconds later, "Yep."

The next couple of rooms were easy. I changed my combat boots for space-like boots and up walked the side of a wall on to a ceiling and pushed a big red button in the middle of it. The red button opened the next door, but also triggered red laser beams. It took us all about five minutes to realize I would have to step out of the space boots and fall straight down if I wanted to get down.  
After that it was the war room, where we had to answer a series of question about many different wars, some I had never even heard about. Us ladies stepped back and let Jasper do his thing, because apparently he was just a war buff in general, not just a civil war buff.

The last room was a long white room that honestly made me feel more than just a little crazy. The long room was an all white, narrow rectangle with a piece of clear glass going down the middle, allowing us to see Peter and his team on the other side in their own long rectangle.

"So, this is the laser room," I said in appreciation, "it's nice."

Everyone murmured their agreement. "So, whose gonna do the final task? Carlisle never makes the laser beams man-friendly," Jasper said.

"What exactly is 'man-friendly'?" Charlotte, Esme, Rosalie, and I asked him with our hands on our hips. A look into the other room we could see Alice was in the same position so I figured they were having the same conversation.

"I'm not being a sexist pig or anything," he put his hands up in defense, "so stand down my little hellcats, I'm just tryin' to say that we're bigger than y'all and Carlisle usually makes the beams real narrow or too close for us to fit through, is all," he explained.

"Well, in that case I think Bella should do it," Rosalie said, "she's smaller than all of us."

"Are you talking about my weight or all of you calling me short?" I asked.

"You're just too cute," Charlotte squealed, pinching my cheeks softly, "I just want to put you in my pocket."

"Yeah, y'all are making fun of me," I sighed.

Jasper laughed, "Are you gonna do it?"

I shrugged, "Whatever."

"Alright, everyone pick your player who will be doing this round and step up on the line. Once I get the all clear that you all are ready the one-minute timer will start," Carlisle's voice boomed over a large speaker.

"I want to listen to music while I do this," I said before taking my iPod out of Char's pocket, along with some earphones that hooked around my ears.

"So, hey, Bella, don't make me ground you for losing," Charlotte said while giving me a pointed look.

I rolled my eyes and put the earphones on my ear and began searching for some music. "I mean, seriously, we don't want to lose, which means you better not get caught in one of the rooms, which means—"

"Do one of y'all want to do this?" I cut off Rosalie and glared at her and Charlotte. They both shook their heads immediately. "I didn't think so," I snapped.  
I turned my back on all of them and turned my music up to drown out any background noise.

"_I ain't happy; I'm feeling glad I got sunshine, in a bag. I'm useless, but not for long the future is coming on, it's coming on."_

I pushed the red button that on the left side of me at the same time that Alice did and a clock with one minute on it began to go. Before I started I decided to make all my decisions in my mind and I knew my plan to block her visions work when I turned my head and saw her glaring at me. I smirked and walked under the first laser beam.  
The first course was easy; walk under, walk over, crawl, repeat.

"'_Cause I'm not convinced that I am worthy of your time and I will do what it takes to make you mine. So sit back, relax and enjoy my show, this could be funny. Oh, I'm about to lose control."_

Then it started getting difficult. The next obstacle gave us two minutes before the laser beams came on and I looked to my right and saw Alice step on one, and then red and blue police lights could be seen in the room, and she and clear doors trapped her in the section she was in.  
"Holy shit," I murmured as I stared with wide eyes.

"_Yeah, I be the one that they love to mention. I tell 'em keep on talking 'cause I love the attention and if they want to see me I tell 'em they can go high 'cause this chick so fly."  
_"My God," I complained when I suddenly only had thirty seconds left. I began to unlace my boots as fast as I could, once I finally had them off I bent down and then jumped up, grabbing onto the metal bar that was above me and swung myself around it and came back down just as the lasers came back on. "Seriously, Carlisle," I said, knowing he could hear me, "if the prize isn't awesome by time I'm done with this I won't speak to you for a whole day."

"_I get all the boys, all the boys, all the boys." _

I brought my feet up to my butt slowly, and then just as slowly moved them forward at an acute angle so that they could go in-between the next two lasers that I needed to get through. "Look, ma, I told you gymnastics would pay off." I looked behind me and Charlotte was smirking at me.

I let go of the bar with one hand and grimaced as all my weight went to my left arm and my legs began to get tired. I moved the upper-half of my body under the laser and grabbed onto the other bar before taking a deep breath and releasing my left from the bar behind me. I almost fell but managed to pull myself up and get my left hand on the other bar and move myself completely from between the two lasers.

"_Cuz the rat and the fly,__they're searchin' for an alibi as we wait, the wrath, they never went to Sunday mass.__They want to see us crawl;__they want to see us crawl,__before they walk away, __b__efore they walk away." __  
_The rest of the way was a straight shot of monkey bars with no beams, until I got to the very last bar and there were laser beams that were just too close and twisted together for me to get to. I looked at the clock that was to my right and saw that I only had thirty seconds to decide what to do.  
I looked down and could see the scale that was hiding underneath the only I could land on, and knew I made the right decision to take my combat boots off.

"_We're gonna sip this wine, and pass the cup| We gonna show this town, just how to, how to kiss these stars.|__I say__, "__Just gonna take you hand__, __I'm gonna drive you home__, __just gonna keep on__, k__eep on, keep on__and you gonna have a rest."__  
_I let go of the bar and fell to the floor in a squat. I stood up and thanked my lucky stars for having took ballet, too, as I stood up on the very tip of my toes and began to walk closer to the ruby. I stopped and just stood there on my toes when I got the gigantic ruby. It was protected in a square of laser beams, with weight sensitive tiles.

"_In the dark of the night I could hear you calling my name with__ the hardest of hearts I still feel full of pain.__So I drink and I smoke and I ask you if you're ever around__, __even though it was me who drove us right in the ground.__  
__See the time we shared it was precious to me__, __but all the while I was dreaming of revelry."  
_I moved through the beams with ease, staying alert and on my toes like a cat and got the ruby. I whirled around and saw my team jumping up and down, grinning from ear to ear and cheering me on. I raised an eyebrow at Jasper and he shrugged, chuckling as he looked back at our family.

I walked back to the first tile I had been standing on and my eyes widened at the next and last laser beam obstacle I'd be doing. The laser beams were hyper as all hell, going ballistic and jumping from wall to wall.

I didn't know how to get pass those _without getting_ touched by them, so I took a deep breath and ran as fast as I could, and then pushed myself to go even faster when another clear door could be seen coming down. I dropped the ruby and sent it sliding across the floor and into safety with my team before hurling myself on the floor and sliding across the floor just like Batman does in Arkham Asylum and City, happy that I put my hair into a bun or it would've been caught as the wall came down just a second after I left.

"You did it!" Charlotte squealed and pulled me into a hug as she began jumping up and down in excitement.

I laughed and jumped up and down with her, the excitement and realization of what I had just done setting in. "I did it," I cheered. Rosalie and Esme joined in on the hug fest before we broke up when Carlisle entered the room from a door I hadn't noticed along with Peter and his team.  
Before anyone could say anything, Charlotte kicked Peter in his knee and pushed him to the ground, "You just went down, baby, down!"

Everyone laughed and I gagged, because seriously! I didn't want to hear my parents exchange sexual innuendos.  
"Very well done, Bella," Carlisle said.

I smiled at him, "Where's our prize? What's my prize? Carlisle, it isn't gonna be something totally jank, is it?"

He laughed, "I have something in mind, but until I finalize it I won't say anything."

"Aw, phooey," I sighed, playfully kicking the ground. "Anyways, does anyone want to take me to Seattle to get me some dinner?"

"Why don't we all go?" Alice said, "We could catch a movie or something."

"Some downtown shopping sounds nice," Rosalie agreed.

"Go shopping with whose money, honey? The last time downtown shopping sounded nice to you, you managed to spend five-thousand dollars," Emmett said, shaking his head at her.

"And you absolutely love those shoes so don't even start with that again," Rosalie snapped. "I mean, I still have the receipt, I can always take them back."  
Emmett didn't say anything, he just looked away and everyone snickered, "I thought so." Rosalie smirked.

"So, we're going to Seattle," Esme said, looking at everyone in confirmation.

"Yes," Everyone said together.

She nodded her head and clapped her hands, "Alright, then, let's go. You all have a curfew. It's back to school tomorrow."

"Ha-ha," Peter teased and Charlotte laughed as we groaned.

"I don't know why you two are laughing. I will send both of you back to school too if I have to, but I can only see that being disastrous so you'll just be going to the gardening expo with me tomorrow," Esme said.

"What?" The two of them yelled horrified.

"Oh, I like this," I said, "Peter and Charlotte are my parents, and Esme and Carlisle are like their parents, so that makes y'all my grandparents! How awesome is that? I have grandparents!"

Esme and Carlisle beamed proudly while Charlotte and Peter looked shocked by my words and…pleased, if I know them as well as I think I do.  
"So, Seattle," Rosalie said.

"Let's go," Carlisle nodded and everyone began to make their way out of the room.

I stepped inside the room to leave, but Jasper grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's up?

"I have to pick the most used place, so I'm going to say a second time in bed." He smirked at me.

I frowned in confusion before gasping and staring at him with wide eyes. It was my turn to watch him leave and I didn't think I'd ever seen a better looking ass in my life.

_~**HTH**_

"We aren't seriously about to go see this movie," Edward complained as he refused to take the movie ticket I was trying to hand him.

Esme glared at him, "I'm confused here, Edward. What exactly is your problem with this movie?

"It's a fucking chick-flick," Peter complained with a deep scowl on his face.

"I can't believe we're mated to insensitive buffoons like y'all." Charlotte scowled back at Peter, "It isn't a chick flick; it's an everybody flick now get your arse in that room and stop complaining. I actually want to _see_ the movie, you know.

"Carlisle, you're being awfully quite. What do you think?" I asked him, turning all attention to him.

Carlisle cleared his throat, nervous under the fierce gaze of his mate, "I think it looks like a really good movie, actually. I remember telling Esme I wanted to see it the moment I saw the commercial."

"That Robert Pattinson guy looks too much like Edward, it creeps me the fuck out," Jasper said as he pointed to the _Remember Me _movie posted.

"Huh, he does," the woman all said together.

"'Sides, y'all have all seen this movie already," he pointed out.

"Yea, but they brought it back with cast commentary and they're _showing Water for Elephants_ afterwards! It's a two for one movie special," Rosalie countered.

Jasper chuckled, "They also have that on _both_ DVDs."

"We don't own the DVDs," Charlotte told him.

Jasper shrugged, "I'll buy each of y'all your own."

"But we already have the tickets," I complained. "Please, can't you guys just go in with us?" We gave them all our best puppy dog faces, letting tears and venom pool into our eyes.

"Awe hell," Peter was the first to cave and the others soon followed.

_***Hours after Both Movies***_

"I can't believe they killed him," Charlotte sniffed, holding her face into Peter's jacket as he rubbed her back to comfort him.

Rose nodded, "I know, but letting him end up happy in Water for Elephants makes up for it."

"I can't believe y'all cried," Jasper snorted.  
I rolled my eyes and pushed him playfully, "We cried because we actually have feelings. That's more than I can say for you and all your man-friends here."

He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at me and I laughed before looking away as feelings I couldn't explain begin to brew inside me.  
"So, when we get back to Forks we're going hunting," Rosalie said.

"Who is 'we'?" I asked.

"Me, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme," she listed off everyone on her fingers. "Peter and Charlotte are hunting now."

I looked behind me and saw that my parents were gone, surprised they didn't say bye.  
"So, it's just going to be me, Alice, and Edward?" I asked.

"Are you uncomfortable with that? I can stay if you want," Jasper said.

I shook my head. "You need to hunt; your eyes are officially pitch black. I'll be fine," I assured them and hoped I wasn't wrong.

When we got home everyone left immediately to go hunt and I felt bad that I hadn't noticed just how much they all needed to hunt, or I would've made—yes, made—them go sooner.  
"Looks like it's just us for about an hour or two," Alice said. "Their futures have been foggy since you've arrived, so I can't get an exact time," she explained after I raised a questioning eyebrow her way.

"Sorry," I apologized.

She shrugged, "Don't be. It's nice having my head filled with no one but me."

I nodded, "I can see how that's an awesome thing."

We sat around for the next two hours watching TV, listening to music, dancing around, and whatever else came to mind until Edward's phone rang and he went outside to take the call.  
"Now that Edward is somewhat gone, can I talk to you about something?" Alice asked me quietly, because even though Edward was outside, he could still hear us.

"Yes, of course, anything," I told her honestly. I liked the fact that we were becoming friends, because Alice was a pretty chill chick once you got to know her.

"I'm thinking about taking Jasper back," she told me seriously.

My eyes widened and then I froze mid-reach for my coke and stared at her in disbelief. "You're going to take him back? How are you going to do that? Isn't he supposed to be the one taking you back?" I asked her. Call me old fashioned, but I didn't know it was the cheater that got to do the taking back.

She laughed softly and nervously fidgeted with her hands. "Well, yes, I mean I'm going to try and get him back. I love him, Bella, I love him more than I've ever loved anyone and I can't…I can't lose him…To anyone," she finished firmly.

I straightened up and squared my shoulders. "Alice, I don't think that's a good idea, you going after Jasper—"

"Why?" She interrupted me.

"I don't think that a good idea, you going after Jasper," I started again and narrowed my eyes at her. "Jasper is still pretty pissed and I think going after him would only succeed in pissing him off more, and no telling what he'd do to you or Edward," I explained.

"Is that the real reason, Bella?" Alice asked me, her demeanor suddenly changing. She was no longer the nice girl I was getting to know, but the evil pixie bitch I met first with a vicious smirk on her angelic smirk.

I rolled my eyes, "What other reason would there be, Alice? I'm just looking out for all three of you."

"I don't think that's it, Bella. I think you're after Jasper yourself," Alice snapped at me.

I jumped up and glared at her. "That's ridiculous," I snapped, "I'm not after anybody and if you want my real opinion I'll tell you; I don't want you going after Jasper because you're a lying, cheating son of a bitch and you don't deserve him or any other man on this planet for that matter."

"Oh, that's especially rich coming from you. I've been nice to you, Isabella, letting you off the hook with the big ass lie you're hanging above everyone's heads. You don't really think I believe that bullshit about you being raped, do you? You lied and had them arrested but somehow got away with that and yet you call me the lying son of a bitch? Right," she snorted.

"Excuse me? It wasn't a lie; I wouldn't tell a lie like that for any damn reason, Alice!"

"Save it for somebody who cares to believe you, Bella, because I sure as hell don't. You know, I don't even know why you're trying to keep me from Jasper. It's not like he'd _ever_ go for someone like _you_. You're a dirty whore who's obviously after my sloppy seconds. First you're going out with Edward, who's convinced you're going to let him bang you by the way, and now Jasper? You're filthy, disgusting, and there's no way either one of them would go out with you," Alice hissed at me with a little smirk on her face.

I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. There was no way some pixie-bitch was going to be the reason I cry _again_. "You—"

"I'd pity you," she interrupted me, "for having to grow up with a whorish mother like Charlotte and having learned her ways, but you're too damn stubborn to have even an ounce of my pity. Peter though," she chuckled, "I wouldn't mind making a cheater out of him."

That was my breaking point. I didn't want her to see me cry but I could no longer hold them in. I didn't want to do anything rash, thinking she'd see the error of her ways and apologize, but she didn't. I didn't want to attack her because we'd made so much progress, we were friends, but seeing as how she'd damned it all to hell anyways.  
I saw red and then lunged for her, taking Alice by surprise and wrapping my hands around her neck. I couldn't do much damage with my hands, but I would do something.

"Stupid fucking bitch," Alice yelled and threw me off of her before pouncing on me. Her hand balled up into fist and began to hit me wherever my hands weren't blocking.  
I was able to pull out the lighter Peter gave me that I always carried with me and managed to burn more of her hair and the side of her face before she was suddenly pulled off of me and I was picked up off the ground, and an arm was holding me by the waist.

Alice was being held around the waist by a shocked Emmett and was yelling and screaming about her fucking face and I was raging, pissed the fuck off and trying to get out of the grasp I was in to attack her again.  
"You crazy psychotic bitch!" Alice yelled at me, "She burned my fucking face! Someone punish her or something!"

I growled, "Alice Cullen you are dead to me and my family. We accepted you as one of us; we offered you a place in our home and family, but not anymore. _You_ are not a part of the Whitlock family, you never have been, and you never will be. The second you leave this house you are not welcome," I told her fiercely as I finally stopped struggling against the arms holding me.

Alice's eyes widened and she looked over at Carlisle and Esme and I screamed, "NO! I don't give a flying fuck who your parents are or who your family is, you disrespected my family in our home and you. Are. Not. Welcome. Now, get the fuck outta my house before I have someone throw you out like the thrash you are."

I broke out of the grip that was holding me and whirled around, officially done with Alice and ready to rip Edward, who's distinct freesia smell told me it was him, a new one.  
"And you!" I shouted at him, "I don't know what the fuck I was thinking agreeing to go out with you! I'm not ready to date or be in a relationship and if Alice told the truth and you were expecting me to have sex with you, you're outta your goddamned mind and belong in the asylum right next to Alice!

God, you're not even my type! You're too fucking pretty and you know what? You're weird! You give me and the others these looks that disgust me and you're controlling! Was it even me that agreed with you or did you—No, never mind, forget it. I don't want to see your face either. You can take your sister and leave. Now," I told him, pointing to the exit.

He opened his mouth but I cut him off with a glare, "Gone, now. Take your sister with you and don't come back for a long while." He put his head down and walked over to get Alice, who was handed over to him by Emmett who was staring at both of them with disgust.  
"And in case you haven't figured it out, our date has been cancelled!" I yelled out to him seconds before the front door was slammed shut.

I closed my eyes and was thankful when I was met with nothing but silence, though the stares I could feel on me weren't much better.  
I wiped the blood off my right eye before opening them, "I have to go fix my face."

I turned around and began walking out, keeping my head down so not to let the others see, and patted Jasper softly on his hand when I walked pass, "You should go home, too, Jasper."

* * *

_Scene_

A|N: _**To find the catwoman costume Rosalie is wearing, just look up catwoman costume on Google and some pictures should show up (if they don't, click on shopping results). You should be able to find the ones I described on their immediately. If not, PM me or review and I'll send you the links to see them.**_

_**For Charlotte and Esme's outfit, if you want to see them, ask for it. It'll be easier for me to just give y'all the link for them instead of having you go on a hunt for them.**_

_**** **__This chapter was one I've been waiting to write for a while now._


	21. Chapter 21: Dreams

_**Highway to Hell  
**_A|N:_ Wow. What a way to come back! Seriously, I don't think I say this enough, but y'all are awesome! The bestest people ever—fasho. With y'all, I feel like I never took a long, un-needed break. The reviews, as always, made me smile. Thank you!_

**DC: I do not own Twilight, nor do I own anything dealing with the Twilight series. Stephanie Meyer's got that in the bag. **

Chapter 21: Dreams

* * *

"Bella, I don't want you to push us away," Charlotte said as she followed me up the stairs.

"Mom, what the hell are you talking about?" I asked her. "I'm just going to fix my friggin face, is that okay with you?"

Charlotte sighed and followed me into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. "You know what I'm talking about, Bella," she insisted. "You do this every time you get upset. You pull away from me and Peter and then you take your anger out on anyone who dares to come close."

"And you think I'm doing that now?" I asked her in disbelief. "I'm not 'pulling away', mom, I'm trying to fix my face."

I looked at my bloody face and shook my head in disgust. My right eye had a nice black and blue bruise forming around it, both corners of my lips were dripping with blood, my nose was bloody, and on the left side of my face, close to my eye but not close enough to do damage to it, were deep cuts and tons of scratches. It felt as if hell was suddenly on my face that's how bad the cuts were burning.

Charlotte huffed. "Will you stop saying that please? Your face isn't broken so you don't have to fix anything," she said.

I rolled my eyes before glaring at her in the mirror. "I'm sorry, mom. What I mean is I'm trying to clean my face. Though, I should leave it as it is. I'd be perfect then; a fucked up face to go along with my already fucked body." I laughed. "It was meant to be. I wonder how long she had this planned," I mused.

Mom's eyes widened and filled with tears and I had to look away from her before I ended up crying, too. I cried enough for the day. "Don't say that!" she shrieked. "And is that why you're upset?"

"What?" I asked her in confusion.

Charlotte sat down on the love seat that had been placed in the bathroom. I watched as she tilted her head to the side and studied me. "Are you angry with me? With all of us, I should say. Are we to blame for what happened?" she asked quietly.

"Now you're just being ridiculous. What reasons do I have to be angry with all of you?" I asked her. It was a stupid question. I wasn't angry with her or the others, I was just angry in general. Alice pushed every button and cut every nerve and now I was angry. Angry yet numb all at once. I didn't know how that was possibly, but it was how I felt.

"Because we weren't here?" Mom said as if it was obvious, but also let it linger in the air as a question.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Are you trying to tell me that you guys knew what was going to happen and purposely stayed out so she could hurt me?" I asked.

Charlotte gasped and glared back at me. "God, Bella, no, of course not!" she yelled.

"Then I have no reason to be mad at any of y'all," I told her simply. "Was there something else you wanted to talk about?" I asked her when she didn't move from the couch.

"I was going to ask you what Alice said…" she trailed off.

"I feel a 'but' coming on." I sighed.

She nodded her head slightly. "But, Edward just called Carlisle… told him he was able to get it out of Alice's head."

I raised an eyebrow at her in question. "And that was?"

"Apparently," Charlotte began with a grunt of disgust, "Alice is proud of what she has done. She willingly gave Edward a play-by-play of everything that happened."

"Everything," I repeated slowly.

"_Everything_," Mom repeated just as slowly.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "And you heard everything?" I asked.

Charlotte shook her head no immediately. "Edward wouldn't say what he heard. He said he didn't want to divulge it over the phone; something about not feeling right about doing it over the phone." She rolled her eyes at that.

I nodded my head. "Good. Tell him not to repeat it to anyone. Over the phone or in person," I told her firmly.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at me. "And why would I do that?" she asked. "I want to know what that psychotic bitch said to my daughter."

"And I want to forget it happened but I can't if Edward goes around repeating what she said!" I yelled. "Just leave it alone."

"I can't leave it alone!" she yelled back. "That bitch hurt you and so I'm going to hurt her, but I need to know what she said."

"SHE CALLED YOU A WHORE!" I snapped. "Is that what you wanted to hear? She called you a whore, mom, and she threatened to sleep with dad. She also said some things to me and about me that I'd rather not have said out loud again if that's okay with you." I walked out the bathroom and into my room. "What are you doing in here?"

He held up his medical bag as if that explained everything. "I figured you'd like some help cleaning up your wounds," Carlisle explained. "I saw that Alice did some damage to the left side of your face with the ring she was wearing. You need stitches," he added.

I sighed and walked over to my bed and flopped down onto it. I handed Carlisle the wet wash cloth I had in my hand and he began to wipe away the rest of the blood that was on my face. "Are you going to try and lecture me too?" I asked him.

Carlisle shook his head. "No way, I'm not your dad. I'm grandpa; we're supposed to spoil our grandchildren to death and give them space when they need and want it," he said.

"Well, thank you, Gramps." I smiled softly at him.

He chuckled and finished sewing the last stitch. "Fifteen stitches—that's five less than I estimated," Carlisle said.

I stood up from my bed and walked toward my closet door where a full length mirror was hanging. With all the blood gone I could see clearly all the damage that Alice did to my face and it wasn't as bad as it looked. The long cut that Carlisle stitched up for me started at the very tip of my hairline all the way down to just a few inches past my left eye. The other cuts around the big one were long, burning, swollen and frighteningly red and you could tell someone scratched me. If that didn't let someone know I got into a fight the black eye would. The bruises that covered my chest and torso did as well.

"These cuts are hell, Carlisle," I whimpered to him when he stood behind me.

He nodded his head. "I figured they would be. Use this cream on it once every day until they stop burning and the swelling goes down." He handed me a small tube of burn relief. "I'm really sorry about what happened, Bella," he whispered.

I shrugged and winced at the soreness in my shoulders. "It's not your fault, Carlisle. Don't apologize for Alice," I told him.

He stared at me for a minute before finally nodding his head and after a quiet "goodnight" left. I changed into a pair of gray sweats and Mom's old Bruce Springsteen's T-shirt before getting in bed. "Bella," Dad's voice called to me from the other side of the door.

I sighed. "Yeah, dad, what's up?"

"I love you," he told me seriously.

I opened my eyes and rolled them before turning my head to look at him. "Mmmhmm, daddy, I know."

"Do you want to talk? Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. Concern was clear in his voice and I rolled my eyes at him. I just wanted everyone to let. _It_. _Go_.

I told him as much. "No, dad, I don't want to talk. I'm positive I'm okay. I just want everyone to leave me alone for a while and friggin forget about tonight. That's it," I said.

Peter looked at me for a minute and I stared back, matching his glare, before he huffed and walked out shutting my bedroom door behind him.

After tossing and turning for a few hours I was finally able to go to sleep with dreams of pint size pixies with bear claws trying to maul me while a dozen pretty boys tried to force me to have sex with them or take me out on a date.

_**HTH**_

"I said no!" Charlotte yelled. "I'm not sending Bella to school with that evil, uncontrollable bitch there!"

"Charlotte, baby, she has to get an education!" Peter yelled back.

"I know that," Charlotte snapped. "It's Friday, though, Peter, she can miss a day of school until I can figure out what to do. I don't feel comfortable with sending her there with Alice," she explained. "I don't feel comfortable with sending her there with Edward, either."

"I have all my classes with Rosalie and Japer. I'll stick to their side with glue. I sit in between Rosalie and Jasper during lunch," I cut in. "I'll be protected, mom, I can go."

Charlotte and Peter stopped their arguing abruptly and turned their heads to look at me at the same time. "I know, I just…" she trailed off, obviously at a loss for words.

I woke up the morning after the incident with Alice yesterday ready to face the day—ready to face her. There was no way in hell I was going to let her scare me into not going to school and not hanging out with the rest of my family because she's there. I refuse to let the "evil, uncontrollable bitch" win. I got dressed in a pair of red skinny jeans, a black wife beater with a gray t-shirt that stopped a few inches bellow my breast and the sleeves hung of my shoulders with a sketched picture of me and Rosalie on it—I was pointing a gun forward with glasses on and eyebrows raised, while Rosalie was turned on her side, back against my shoulder, point her gun the other way with her head facing the same direction as me, a small smirk on her lips—with the words "Bad As They Wanna Be" above our heads in big, bold letters. I topped the outfit with a gray satin bow headband from Forever21 and my black converse. My hair was down and curled big, Adele style (2012 Grammy's).

Charlotte sighed. "Fine, you can go. If anything happens between you and Alice, though, I'm going to kick all three of Y'alls asses," she hissed, pointedly looking between me and Peter, the third person, Alice, not present. "You look very cute," Charlotte said after a minute of checking me over.

I blushed. "Thanks, mom," I replied.

"That stuff Carlisle gave you works really well," Peter said before he cupped my chin and turned my head.

I nodded. "It does. A few more uses and the cuts will be really light," I said happily. "At least I can say these scars aren't intentional. They're my battle scars." I joked.

Peter shook his head. "I don't like that," he told me firmly. There was no need for him to elaborate on what he was talking about. I knew.

"Sorry," I mumbled. There was a honking noise outside and I jumped off the kitchen counter. "That's my ride," I announced.

"Behave." Peter gave me a quick squeeze and kissed the top of my head before letting go.

I nodded and got pulled into a hug by Charlotte. "Have a good day, sweets," she said. "Are you positive you want to go?" she asked. "Because you don't have to," Mom told me seriously.

I nodded my head. "I'm sure, ma. I'll see you later." I kissed her cheek and she removed her arms from around me and I ran outside before they could say anything else. "I feel like a kindergartener all over again," I said by way of greeting when I stepped into Rosalie's M3 convertible.

"They're just worried about you," she said before pulling out of the driveway and heading toward the school.

"I know." I sighed.

I put my earphones in my ear and turned up the volume. I didn't feel like talking to her. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, actually. All they seemed to want to talk about was what happened between me and Alice. I didn't want to talk about what happened to me and Alice.

_"It's gonna come back around. You know that this town is just too small and I'm too strong to take this again| you know you're just gonna lose everything and everyone that means so much to you." _

I felt a pinch on my thigh when we turned inside the school parking lot and looked over at Rosalie. I took my earphone out of my ear and raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you okay with parking in our normal spot?" she asked.

I nodded my head and put my earphone back in my ear and turned it up just a few notches louder and looked for a different song.

"_To hell with the bad news, dirt on your new shoes, it rained all of May to the month of June. To hell with your new shit and whether or not you think you fit in| she could be rainy days, minimum wage, a book that ends with no last page. Whoever she is, whoever she maybe be, one thing's for sure—you don't have to worry." _

I put my backpack over my shoulder and got out of the car without another word to her or the others when I passed them.

Throughout the day I could feel what Charlotte accused me of the other day happening, but I couldn't help it. No. I was not okay. No. I didn't want to be at school. I was pissed off and absolutely terrified all at once. I was embarrassed and disgusted. I was ashamed and felt betrayed by someone I let get close to me. I felt as if I should have known better.  
My thoughts jumped back and forth between the short time I woke up with James and Leroy standing above me and my dream from last night. My arms were tied to a bed post and my legs were spread wide. They were not tied to anything, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't close them.

I jumped up from my desk, interrupting whatever in the hell the calculus teacher was saying, and ran out of the room. I slapped my hand over my mouth and ran as fast as I could to the bathroom, making sure to not trip on the students who were lingering in the halls during their free period.  
I stormed into the bathroom and then a stall and fell to my knees, all my thoughts coming out of me violently.

"Oh God, that's nasty," I mumbled before flushing the toilet, putting my sweater over my head so if anything flew out it wouldn't fly on me.

"Bella?" a familiar voice called out to me in question.

The sweater fell off of my head when I sat up suddenly so fast that I was pretty sure I almost gave myself whiplash. "Edward, unless you have suddenly grown boobs and now have a vagina, you're in the _wrong _bathroom," I hissed out to him, not bothering to open the stall door when his feet were suddenly directly under it.

"I saw you running past and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. What's the matter?" he asked.

I shook my head to clear it. "Edward, I thought I told you I didn't want to speak to you any time soon after yesterday," I said. "I'm fine. Please just leave before someone has you arrested or something for being a pervert in the girls bathroom."

"What the fuck are you doing in here, Edward?" Rosalie bellowed when the bathroom door slammed opened. "Get the fuck out. NOW!" she yelled at him. His black sneakers were suddenly replaced with her nude stilettos. "Bella, honey, he's gone now," she said quietly.

"How'd you know we were in here?" I asked her when I opened the door. I walked over to the sink to rinse my mouth out and raised an eyebrow at her in question when she didn't answer immediately.

"Jasper and I were in Government when we suddenly heard someone being sick in the bathroom and then we heard Edward's voice say your name and then your voice and then Jasper said you were terrified," Rosalie explained. "I rushed in here as fast as I could to make sure you were okay and I don't trust Edward," she told me seriously.

I wiped my mouth with the tissue she handed me and then stuck a piece of Winter Fresh gum in my mouth. "I'm fine," I said.

"Bella, are you serious?" Rosalie asked. She sighed and I suddenly felt like a little kid being scolded for telling a tiny white lie. "You don't seriously expect any of us to believe that, do you?" she asked.

I huffed and rolled my eyes before walking out of the bathroom. I didn't want to tell her what was wrong now because I did not want to cause any more strife in the Cullen family then there already was.

The rest of the day went on slowly from there until the lunch bell rang five minutes in to fourth period. I had been dreading this part of the day all day as I'm sure everyone else was.  
I had a bad feeling yesterday's fight wasn't over, so I was going to try and do everything in my power to prevent another fight from happening between Alice and I.

"So, what really happened to your face?" Angela asked me when we found each other in the cafeteria. She'd become a pretty good friend during my time here and was the only one who didn't automatically jumped to conclusions when big rumors were spread around school.

"Alice and I got into a fight," I told her. I didn't mind telling Angela the truth because I knew she wouldn't be the one to go around telling everybody and their mommas'.

She nodded her head. "I saw that coming from five miles away, Bella. I know I haven't hung around you while you're with them, but anyone with a brain can see the tension between the two of you," she said. "What happened?" she asked me cautiously.

I chuckled. "Oh yea, the tension is thicker than all hell, Angela. It's ridiculous. She said some really hurtful things and now everyone is just waiting for that other shoe to drop," I explained. I looked over at the Cullen table and saw that only my three awesome best friends were there. "Do you want to eat with us?" I asked her.

She shook her head but smiled. "Naw, thanks for the offer though, Bella. Ben asked me to eat lunch with him today." She pointed to Ben, who was sitting at a table separate from his football team for once, and grinned. He grinned back and waved her over. "I'll call you later and tell you how it went?" she asked.

I nodded. "For sure," I said. We got our food and then went our separate ways. "Where are the…manipulative twins?" I asked when I sat down at the table.

Rosalie snorted. "They're coming. Alice suddenly had a vision of you and said everything was going to be a-okay," she told me.

"Are you okay with eating with them?" Emmett asked me.

I nodded my head. If I heard someone ask me "are you okay?" one more time, I would probably scream. "I'll be fine, Emmett," I said.

The manipulative twins came in a short while after and I snorted when I noticed Angela sending Alice the dirtiest looks that could rival Rosalie's glares.  
"Bella," Edward said when they sat down. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and then another one before nodding my head. "I'm fine, Edward," I said between clenched teeth. Couldn't anyone just let me be?

"Your face looks great, Bella," Alice said as if it were a compliment, smiling brightly.

Rosalie went to say something but I cut her off. "So does yours, Scarface. Tell me, is that permanent or are you making a new fashion statement?" I asked her snidely.

On the right side of her face I could see that I did more damage than I thought, because it was charcoal black and it looked as if she broke out in hives and you could even see just a little bit of flesh if you got close enough. To summarize, it looked nasty as all hell and I felt a sick sense of pride that I was the one who did it.

She scowled at me and I scowled back and raised an eyebrow at her. It didn't escape my notice that she wasn't answering the question at all.  
"It's permanent until someone puts their venom on it," Jasper answered. "But no one wants to do it and she doesn't want to use her own venom, so she's going to stay like that for a while."

I snorted and shook my head in disbelief. How ridiculous was that? I had never even heard of that before: someone being too good for their own venom. I'd have fixed my face the minute I found out I could.

"You know, I'm not exactly sorry for what I said," Alice snapped. "I don't mind repeating it. Maybe the others would finally like to hear, too?" she asked.

I chocked on my drink and Rosalie patted my back softly until I stopped coughing. I cleaned up the soda that flew out of my mouth and on to the table before glaring at Alice. "And I don't mind burning the rest of your face off, Alice," I snapped.

"Oh, honey, you wouldn't get the chance," she growled.

I stood up and leaned over the table, into her face. "You'd be surprised how many chances I'd get, Alice. Did you suddenly forget I carry a lighter around with me _everywhere _I go?" I asked her.

Her eyes widened in surprise and her face took on a look of fear before it was gone and that mask of bitchiness was back. "Like I said, Bella, you wouldn't get the chance. I'd have your neck snapped before you were able to get that lighter out of your pocket."

"And I'd have your neck snapped before you were able to get to her," Jasper snapped. He yanked me back into my seat and glared at me before turning his glare on to Alice. "Sit your ass down and stop causing a fuckin' scene, Alice. We're all tired of your goddamned mouth running all the damn time," he hissed.

Rosalie nodded. "And if you keep threatening my sister your neck being broken isn't the only thing you'd have to worry about," she whispered fiercely.

Alice rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest and huffed angrily. I rolled my eyes and disgust poured off of me in waves, causing Jasper to look at me in question. I just couldn't understand how someone could hurt someone so bad and not care, and not feel any remorse whatsoever.

I grabbed my lunch tray and stood up roughly from the table. "I've suddenly lost my appetite and my want to be at school. I'm going home," I said before leaving to dump my tray.

I ignored the calls of concern and walked out the cafeteria after waving a goodbye to Angela. From there I ran all the way home and wasn't surprised to see Peter standing outside smoking, obviously waiting for me. I was surprised, however, to see that Carlisle's Mercedes was in our driveway.

"I'm proud of you for staying as long as you did." Peter pulled me into a hug when I got close enough to him and I sighed and sunk into his embrace.

"Did you know I wasn't going to be able to do it?" I asked him in a quiet voice, feeling like the insecure little girl I was on the inside. "That Alice was going to win?"

Peter's chest rumbled and vibrated under my head due to his growling. I patted his chest softly, repeatedly, and it quieted down after a few minutes. It was a trick Charlotte showed me a while ago. Something about a women's touch being the solution to most problems: not just physical touch either. "Alice didn't win anything, Bella," Peter hissed. "I'm pretty sure you won because you went _and _confronted her psychotic ass." He sounded proud.

"I guess," I mumbled. I let him go and after one more squeeze he released me from his arms and I backed up to look him in the eyes. "Can I go for a ride?" I asked.

He grinned at me and took the keys out of his pocket. "I knew you'd ask," he said before handing them to me. "I want you back before nightfall, Missy, and I expect you to call me or Charlotte if you get into any trouble. Understood?" he asked.

I nodded my head and skipped over to his Harley. It had been weeks since I rode it, the last time being the first day of school, and I felt like I was going through withdrawals. I straddled the bike and put my helmet on before starting it up and backing out of the driveway. Peter saluted me and I did the same before taking off down the street.

I finally reach a dead end about an hour into my drive, and I became sad when I realized this meant I had to go home, but as I was turning around a very well hidden path caught my eye. I jumped off the bike and took it with me as I went up the path.

It was a really stupid idea. This is the part where I'd get killed for all my "exploring" in a scary movie and no one would realize it until two more bodies were found. After that thought, I should have went home. It would have been the smart thing to do, right? Yes. But I didn't. Of course I didn't. Instead I stayed and continued to "explore", when a big ass wolf suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Uh, wow, you're huge," I stuttered out. It was face-to-face with me on all four legs; I can imagine clearly how big it would be on its hind legs only.

The brownish-reddish wolf circled me, but I was more afraid of its color than I was of the wolf itself. It was the color in my nightmares, but I couldn't understand why. I couldn't remember the weird reddish-brownish color was, but I knew it wasn't something I liked.

Suddenly the wolf lunged and I wasn't sure if I was able to get out a scream or not before everything went black.

* * *

"Bella, dear, wake up," a sweet voice said.

I groaned and shook my head and the person chuckled. I sat up abruptly and looked around, remembering where I was. "Is it still here?" I asked in panic. I ran my hands over my face and my body but my clothes were still in one peace and there was no blood anywhere.

"It isn't. It hasn't been here for a while, Bella," Carlisle assured me. He stuck his hand out and I took it and let him help me up. "Charlotte is sick with worry. She thought everything had finally taken its toll and you ran away."

I shook my head and decided I could confide in Carlisle. "Can I tell you something?" I asked him. He nodded his head and I hummed in appreciation when he touched the spot on my head that I hit when I blacked out. "If I were to runaway I would have gone straight to Seattle," I said.

"Why Seattle?" he asked curiously. "I promise I won't tell, Bella. Grandfather/Grandchild confidential," he said jokingly, but I knew he was serious.

I cracked a small smile. "I've never been on a ferry before, but I've always wanted to get on one. If I were to runaway I'd go to Seattle and get on a ferry."

"I don't think ferry's leave the state, Bella," Carlisle informed me.

I shrugged. "I'd come back home, Carlisle. I'd want to runaway but I know wouldn't be able to, so I'd just get on the ferry and stay there for hours and just think and cry and forget," I explained.

"Nothing like a day on the water to escape your trouble, eh?" he mused.

I nodded. "Exactly," I agreed.

We were silent as we walked back towards the street. "What time is it, Carlisle?" I asked.

He looked down at his watch. "It's only 1:30. You've been passed out for a good hour now," he told me.

I nodded. "Thanks," I said as I straddle Pete's bike.

"Bella," Carlisle called out to me, half way inside his Mercedes. I raised an eyebrow in question. "Thanks for confiding in me with something like that," he said.

I blushed a little and grinned back at him. "No problem, Gramps. Thanks for listening."

* * *

_Anonymous POV_

I ran through the forest at top speed, only to stop in the middle of the clearing when he came into view.  
"How'd it go?" he asked me expectantly.

I shrugged. "As well as you expected," I told him. "She recognized me, or at least her subconscious did."

He nodded his head. "We assume she's gifted. Something like Alice and Peter and our King, Aro, combined which means we have to be careful. Everything comes to her in her dreams and that could fuck everything up."

"I won't let you down, don't worry," I said.

He raised an eyebrow at me and I knew what he was going to ask before he even said it. He always asked it because he couldn't find it in himself to believe me.  
"Why are you doing this? Why is this so important to you?" he asked me quietly.

"Because I love you," I said simply.

He stepped closer to me and I froze. His hands cupped my face and my breathing became harsh, because he never gets this close. He never allows himself to.  
"I don't understand why," he said.

I closed my eyes and sighed peacefully as his fingers traced my jaw. "You don't need to understand why. I just do," I told him.

His tongue traced my bottom lip, begging for entrance, and I granted it to him. He kissed me long and hard, passionately, before breaking it; always breaking it.  
"I wish it were enough," he whispered.

* * *

Bella's POV

I sat up in my bed abruptly, panting and wide-eyed, a small scream escaping from between my lips. Peter and Charlotte were in my room immediately, both kneeling on either side of my bed, looking at me in concern. I was confused and terrified and I didn't know how to deal with this new information. Sometimes I wished I didn't have this gift.

Charlotte grabbed my hand and squeezed as tightly as she could without breaking it. "What's wrong, Bella?" she asked me.

I looked at Peter and he had a knowing, rage-filled look on his face and I knew his gift was telling him the same thing. Charlotte moved on to my bed and pulled me on to her lap when a sob escaped me. "What did you see, Bella?" she demanded, looking between Peter and I with a look of absolute fear and worry etched onto her face.

"James," I choked out in between sobs. "James is coming back."


	22. Chapter 22: Undisclosed Desires

_**Highway to Hell  
**_A|N: _Here's the next chapter. From here on out things start to get a little crazy, but we won't be in hell for a while. Also, the much needed fluff between Jasper and Bella that everyone has been waiting for. I hope it doesn't disappoint. If it does have no fear, this isn't their last fluff chapter._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or anything dealing with the series-that all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. She's boss, Yo. Word.  
NOTE: Monday night, Tuesday at school, and then Wednesday and it is August; that's the timeline for this chapter. I would say it's toward the end of August.**

Chapter 22: Undisclosed Desires and a Woman's Intuition

* * *

"I'm confused. How do you know James is coming back?" Esme asked. "_Why _is he coming back seems more appropriate to ask."

As soon as I uttered the words Charlotte went into full out mother bear mode and called all of the others, not wanting to with hold information from them. She was convinced it was going to take all of them to stop one person.  
"First off, we don't even know if James is coming here or if we'll even run in to him. The vision was in Washington, I know, but it wasn't Forks. We probably have nothing to worry about," I said, interrupting whatever my mother was going to say. "And we don't know why he's coming here. I didn't see that much, only that he was in Washington. I think I overreacted."

"So that's what we're calling it?" Emmett asked." You have visions, too? Visions of the future like Alice?"

I shrugged while Peter nodded his head. "She can see the future like Alice, yes, but her visions are guaranteed unlike Alice's whose are subjective and controlled by change," he explained. "Another difference is that Bella has only been able to get her visions while she was sleeping, through her dreams."

"Why is that?" Jasper asked.

"We're not sure, that's just the way it is. I'm thinking she has another gift, too, but I can't figure out what it is," Peter said, frowning.

Carlisle perked up at that. "Our friend Elezar has a gift that can detect other gifts. I could give him a call," he offered.

"Absolutely not," Peter and Charlotte answered together. "The last time we had someone who could detect gifts meet Bella, they tried to kidnap her and we never figured out what the gift was," Charlotte explained.

"How come y'all never found out who did it?" Jasper asked with a frown on his face.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Because Peter killed the guy as soon as he found him."

"You bet your ass I did," Peter said proudly.

"What all do you remember happening in the vision, Bella?" Esme asked, getting back to the subject and cutting off Peter's detailed explanation of what he did to the guy, "I mean, something serious had to happen since you woke up crying, right?"

I shrugged and frowned slightly as I tried to recall what all happened. "I don't know. I only remember him being surrounded by a lot of people. He was with this gorgeous redhead and she seemed thoroughly upset with him and surprised. They walked out of a back door after that. That's all that I can remember," I said.

"Was he still human?" Dad asked me.

"Um," I said with a shrug. I shut my eyes and looked for any signs that he or the woman weren't human, but everything was coming back foggy. "I don't know. I can't see him clearly anymore." With that, the others began talking and planning things "just in case" and I grew annoyed as the minutes passed on because they kept me out of it all and I was tired.  
"I'm bored," I announced suddenly and stood up abruptly. "And I'm tired. I'm going back to bed."

I walked out of the room without another word and ran up the stairs; it was the only way I could stop myself from stomping up the stairs in a total teenage girl move.  
"Bella," Jasper whispered as he stuck his head in my room. "Are you okay?"

I rolled over onto my side and rested my head on my hand and raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you seriously asking me that question?" I asked him rhetorically. "I'm fine, why?"

"Hey, don't lie to me. That may slide with Peter, but not me. Empath, remember?" he said.

"Well, then, why the heck did you ask?" I snapped at him. I huffed and removed my hand from under my head and let it fall down before turning over onto my back and stared at the ceiling. "Thanks for giving me a chance at falling asleep before coming up here."

"Scoot over," he said, now standing in front of my face.

I rolled over and he lied on my bed on his back, arms behind his head. I moved back over too him until I was pressed firmly against his side and rested my head on his arm. My bed was twin size so we couldn't help but touch, I didn't have to move any closer, but I figured I might as well take the opportunity while I have it.  
"Peter was ready to come up here," Jasper told me. "I told him you were super tired, though, and suggested that he let you get your rest."

"Mmmhmm, so you're up here now because?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Because all that damn tossing and turning you were doing was seriously starting to bug the hell out of me. I figured I'd come up here and help you get some sleep," he answered.

I snorted and rolled over on my stomach so I could look him in the face. It took my eyes a while to adjust to dark, but once they did I could see he had a small smirk on his face. "And you had to get in my bed to help me with that?"

"I don't hear you telling me to move," he snarked.

"Touché," I agreed.

I placed my left hand on his chest and then placed my right hand on top of that one and then rested my head on them and closed my eyes. At the same moment I did that Jasper's chest rumbled with laughter.  
"What's so funny?" I mumbled out.

"Your dad doesn't appreciate me being in your bed." Jasper snickered.

I giggled and said, "He's only putting me to bed, daddy."

Jasper's arms went around my waist to keep from falling off the bed as he finally lost it. "Oh, God," he wheezed out. "Peter's trying to come up here and kick my ass and the others have lost it."

I snorted. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate, especially with your ex-wife present," I said. "Alright, Jasper, work your magic. Do what you were always meant to do."

"Put you to sleep?" he asked in amusement.

"Become a real boy," I deadpanned.

His chest mumbled with a growl, but I knew it wasn't a real threatening one so I didn't bother to move or even open my eyes. "Are you saying I'm not a real boy?" he asked.

I nodded and said, "Precisely, buddy. I'm glad we're on the same page."

I could imagine him rolling his eyes and smirking as he smugly replied, "You're right. I stopped being a boy some years ago. I'm all man now, baby."

"Right and I was originally born a boy," I said sarcastically.

Jasper huffed. "I don't understand why you enjoy trying to weaken my masculinity. You do this about once a week, Bella. You're really starting to hurt my feelings."

I moved my left arm from under my head and patted his cheek. "I'm sorry, Jasper, I don't mean to hurt your feelings. If it makes you feel manly I'll let you in on a little secret: you're the only man who has ever slept in my bed." I snickered.

"Go to sleep, Bella," he said.

"I'm too scared," I told him. "I don't want to have that vision again or have any other nightmares," I whispered.

Jasper's arms tightened around me and he pulled me closer to him until I was practically on top of him. "That's why I'm here, 'member?"

**~HTH~**

I woke up the next morning and was sad to see Jasper gone, but I couldn't but smile because, holy hell, that was the best sleep I had in a long time. It was so good, that I found myself skipping down the stairs and humming after I got ready for school.  
"Well, someone is extra happy this morning," Peter said when I walked into the kitchen.

I grinned. "I'm going to ask Jasper to move in," I said seriously. "And I'm never going to give him back to Esme until I become a vampire. That was legit the best sleep ever."

Charlotte grinned at me and Peter frowned. I rolled my eyes when the two of them started having one of their super-secret "must-sparkle-in-the-sun" conversations. I took a bite of my toast and watched them go back and forth, the both of them looking annoyed. Peter huffed loudly and I knew Mom had won the battle.  
"You're my little girl and I don't want you to get hurt," Peter said, looking at me in a serious manner. "And I don't want you to be upset with him when you find out." He pulled me into a tight hug.

"Dad, what in the world are you talking about?" I mumbled into his chest.

"You'll know soon, honey," he replied.

I rolled my eyes and pulled back. "I hate when you go all 'cryptic-Yoda' on me, dad."

There was a honk outside that cut off whatever he was going to say. I stood up on my tippy toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek and hugged Charlotte before running out the house.  
"Hola y'all," I said with a grin as I jumped into the backseat of Emmett's jeep.

Emmett was, of course, driving, Rosalie sat in the passenger seat, and Jasper was sitting next to me in the back.

"Morning," they all mumbled.

Rosalie turned in the passenger seat and looked at me with a raised eyebrow just as Emmett pulled out the driveway and began driving towards school. "You're awfully cheery this morning," she said, sounding suspicious. "Why?"

I snickered. "I can't be happy, Rose?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You can be, sure, but I know you, Bella. You're not just happy to be happy."

I brought my feet up onto the chair and wrapped my arms around my legs to keep them pressed against my chest and smirked at her. There was no way I was going to admit why I was so happy—at least, not in front of Jasper. The bastard is smug enough as it is.  
I shrugged and said, "I don't know what to tell you, Rosie."

Rosalie stared at me for a few more minutes, her eyebrow still raised. I grinned when she tilted her head to the side slightly and her curious eyes stared at me. I could the wheels turning in her head and I knew the minute she figured out my "secret" as a smirk slowly formed on her lips.  
"Oh," she said.

"I'm lost," Jasper said.

We looked over at him and laughed simultaneously because he really did look so lost and confused. I patted his hand and said, "I promise to help you find your way." And then I shrugged. "Or maybe not, lost Jasper, is a super cute, non-annoying Jasper."

Rosalie threw her head back and laughed. Jasper frowned at me and mock pouted. "I'm annoying?" he asked me sadly.

I shook my head and bumped my shoulder against his arm. "I'm just teasin', Jasper, you're awesome. Like awesome."

"Thanks?" he said questionably.

I grinned and rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. "You're welcome," I told him. "Jasper, I have a very important question to ask you and if you say no I'll find a way to kill you."

I could feel him looking down at me but I didn't open my eyes. "So, this isn't really going to be a question—more of a demand or order, right?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Whichever word floats your boat, Jasper."

"Oh, I know what makes his boat float, but it ain't them words," Emmett said with a booming laugh.

My eyes snapped open just in time to see Rosalie slap him upside the head and Jasper punch him in the shoulder—really hard—at the same time.  
"Owe!" he cried. "It was a friggin' joke."

"A stupid joke," Rosalie snapped. "And insensitive and just… It was stupid!"

I saw Emmett roll his eyes in the mirror and looked up in time to see Jasper doing the same thing. I frowned. "I am so lost," I said.

Jasper took my hand and rested it in his lap before putting his other one on top of it. "It _is _okay, Bella, I promise to help you find your way," he snarked.

I rolled my eyes as they all laughed. "Anyway, back to what I was going to say. Jasper, will you move in with us?" I asked. There was a silence after I asked the question and everyone stared at me. "What? I'm being completely serious."

"Yes?" Jasper answered questionably.

I smiled at him and said, "Great! I'm glad you said 'yes', but I'm sorry to inform you that you can't."

"Okay?" he said.

I shrugged. "As I was running out the house Peter said 'no.' I figured I would ask you anyways just to see if you would say 'yes,'" I explained.

"You're weird," he said with a smirk.

"Awe, thank you, Jazzy," I said in my best singsong voice.

There was stifled laughter up in the front seats, but I ignored them and stared at Jasper with the most innocent eyes I could muster up; however, it wasn't working if that glare was any indication.  
"Those sad eyes won't work this time, Bambi," he said.

I shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about, Jazzy-wazzy."

"Brown Eyes, I don't like that," he said.

I grinned at him. "Are those my new nicknames?" I asked him.

"Bella," he growled out quietly.

"Yes, Jazzy?" I asked.

He glared harder at me before turning his head to look out the window. The rest of the drive to school was silent.

_**~HTH~**_

"You and Jasper seem to be getting close," Rosalie said to me.

The lunch bell had rung five minutes ago and Rosalie bombarded me coming out of Art and dragged me outside to one of the lunch tables. I narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion.  
"Where are you going with this, Rosalie?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I'm just starting conversation."

"Jasper is a great guy. I really like him, Rosalie, as a _best friend_," I insisted. "We haven't spent much time together so I figured we could start now, you know? I want to get to know him better."

She smiled. "I think he feels the same way," she told me.

"Rosalie, I'm scared," I whispered suddenly after ten minutes of silence.

She looked at me in surprise, her eyebrow raised. "Scared of what?"

I looked behind me and saw that the others were at our usual table and they were all un-ashamedly staring at the two of us.  
"Can they hear us?" I asked when I turned around from them.

She nodded her head and sat down on the bench next to me, since she had been sitting on the table, and scooted closer. "They can, but if you talk as low as you can they won't be able to," she told me.

I scooted closer to her. "I'm scared because I'm feeling all these things for Jasper, but I don't know what they are. I can't decode them. Whenever he's around I just want to be in his arms and spend forever there. I feel like I'm on cloud nine when I'm around him and I never want to come down. All that sounds totally sappy, I know, but that's the only way I can explain it. I've never felt this way about anyone, Rosalie, and I don't even know what I'm feeling," I explained to her.

She looked at me sympathetically and shook her head. "I think you do now, Bella, but, like you said, you're scared. Why don't you sum up exactly what you're saying into something simple?"

"Falling for him wouldn't be difficult," I whispered.

* * *

"Jasper, are you seriously mad at me?" I asked.

He'd refused to talk to me after we got out the car, after Rosalie and I sat down at the lunch table, not even during P.E and we're _partners_!

He walked into his and headed up the stairs without another word. I shrieked and threw my arms up and headed towards the kitchen.  
"Why's he so upset with you, dear?" Esme asked me in concern and placed a plate of cookies and a glass of milk in front of me.

"And Char wonders why I never go home after school for her cookies," I said with a snort as I took one.

"I heard that!" she yelled from the living room. "And for your information I'm working on my cooking skills!"

I snorted. "You've been saying that for fourteen years!"

There was laughter from the living room and I heard Charlotte huff. I turned around and saw her walking into the kitchen. She flicked me behind my ears. "It's lovely how you're changing the subject, Bella," she said and sat down next to me on the island stool.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"Come on, little Ms. Bambi—"

"You can't call me that!" I snapped before slapping my hand over my mouth and staring wide-eyed at the two ladies who were staring wide-eyed at me. "Uh, I mean—I pissed him off by pretending to be Alice!" I blurted out to change the subject.

"You did what?" Char asked me in shock.

"I was trying to piss him off, you know, by pretending to be Alice. I think calling him Jazzy is what upset him so much," I explained.

"Why would you do that?" Esme asked me with a frown.

I huffed. "I was just messing with him! I'm going to go apologize right now," I said. I jumped off the stool I was sitting on and prepared to run off.

"Bella," Charlotte called out to me before I could. I cringed and turned around. "Put the cookies back."

"But I want…" I stopped talking abruptly when she raised an eyebrow at me and put the plate of cookies down.

"Now you can apologize," she said with a smile on her face.

I huffed and turned on my heel and stalked out of the kitchen. The others smirked and snickered at me when I walked past them in the living room. I screwed up my face at them before running up the stairs as fast as I could.  
"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" I shrieked and slammed Jasper's door back shut. My face burned bright red as I could hear the laughter from downstairs and Jasper's chuckles; however, I couldn't help but smile as the image of his shirtless body burned in my head.

It was a really nice image.

He opened his door a second later, shirt on, and a smirk placed firmly on his lips. "You know, one of these days you're going to barge in on someone and it's going to be your parents and their going to be—"

"Please don't put that mental image in my head," I begged.

He laughed and turned on his heel and headed over to his couch. I walked into his study and closed the door behind me before going over to sit by him. I poked his cheek. "You're not really mad at me, are you?" I asked him.

Instead of answering me he picked up one of his many civil war books and began to read and ignored me completely. "Jasssperrr," I purred. "Are you mad at me?"

I wasn't going to apologize until he answered me. "Are you more annoyed with me than you are upset?" I asked, but he still didn't answer me. I huffed and rolled my eyes in annoyance. "I really _am_ going to have to apologize to you, aren't I?" I said.  
"Can you at least _show _me that you can hear me, because I know you can, Jasper? Is that a head nod for your listening or that I'm really going to have to answer?" I asked him when he moved his down and then back up slightly.

I bent down and tilted my head slightly to look at him and narrowed my eyes when I saw the smug smirk on his lips and the amusement clear in his eyes. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I shrieked in annoyance.  
"My God, you're an asshole!" I told him, but the grin on my face contradicted my words. "I would hit you right now if I didn't know I'd break my hand."

He lifted his head up and slid down on the couch some so he could rest it on the back of the couch and grinned at me. "That was annoying as hell, wasn't it?" he asked me.

I sighed and threw my arms around his waist since I couldn't get to his neck and hugged him tightly to me. "It was and I learned my lesson. I'm sorry, Jasper, and I promise to _never_ imitate your ex-wife again," I said seriously.

His laugh vibrated through my chest and my stomach and I let him go slowly because I started to like it _way_ too much. "Uh-huh, thanks," he said.

I shrugged. "I really am sorry, though, Jasper. I was just joking. If it makes you feel any better Charlotte took my cookies away as punishment," I said.

He turned his head toward me and grinned, closing his eyes. "Mmmhmm, I heard. I'm sorry about that, Bambi. I know how much you love your after school snacks," Jasper told me.

My heart sped up when his thumb began making wide circles on my ankle and I sighed contently at the use of my new nickname; however, I hoped like hell Char wouldn't bring it up when we got home. I knew she was up to something and it was obvious what it was.  
I brought my right leg up onto the couch and then rested my head on my knees before closing my eyes as well.

"Shouldn't you be reading your book and _not_ sexually rubbing my ankle?" I asked him jokingly.

"Shouldn't you be doing your homework and _not_ getting comfortable in my room?" he retorted.

"Hmm," I hummed softly. "Touché."

Jasper tapped my ankle twice and I opened my eyes to see him staring at me with a raised eyebrow, that infamous smirk I found myself loving—much to my chagrin—on his face. "How do you sexually rub an ankle?" he asked very seriously.

I put my head on my knees and laughed. "Oh, dear God," I wheezed in between laughs, "I don't know! It was the most random thought to _ever_ cross my mind."

He laughed with me and after it died down we just sat there. Jasper eventually started up on reading again and I sighed; homework was inevitable.  
"I'll be back," I mumbled and put my right foot down on the ground and waited for Jasper to release my ankle.

"Where are you going?" he asked, tightening his hand slightly before removing it completely.

I shrugged. "To go get my backpack; you're going to do my math homework for me," I told him.

"Oh, am I really?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes, you are. At least, you're going to help and I'm going to do everything else myself. Math sucks rabbits butt hard," I said before standing up.

Jasper laughed. "Hurry back, Bambi."

I nodded and walked out the room and practically ran down the stairs, tripping on the last one.  
"Careful, Bella," Edward said when he caught me.

My body would have frozen had I not been so terrified. I didn't stop shaking even when he put me down. Ever since I called off our "date" he had been sending me dirty looks behind everyone's back and creped me the hell out, but I've chalked it all up to canceling it.

"T-Thanks," I stuttered out before turning on my heel and sprinting down the hallway to the kitchen.

I walked inside and everyone was sitting at the dinner table, grins on their faces when they looked at me; everyone but Peter, that is. He had his arms folded across his chest and was glaring at the table. I briefly wondered if Charlotte was withholding sex from him and then gagged at the thought.  
"What are y'all doing?" I asked as I removed my backpack from the middle of the table.

"Trying to figure out what we're going to with Alice," Charlotte answered me with a head nod toward Alice. "People at school are getting suspicious of abuse because she refuses to fix her fuckin' face."

"Charlotte Whitlock," Esme scolded.

"Sorry." She shrugged sheepishly.

"Why can't we just lock her up in the basement? Y'all can bring her blood when she needs it," I said, sneering at Alice.

She sneered back. "Or maybe we can put you in the basement so I don't have to hear your voice anymore," she snapped.

"Or maybe I should introduce the other side of your face to my lighter that fucked up the other side of your face, you pathetic bitch!"

"I don't know why I try anymore!" Esme sighed.

"Or maybe—"

"ENOUGH, GOD DAMMIT, I SAID ENOUGH!" Carlisle yelled, shocking the hell out of everyone. "I have had it with the both of you at each others throat. Alice you are in the wrong here and you will apologize and then go to your room until_ I_ decide what to do with you; Bella you will accept her apology even if you don't believe in its sincerity and then you _both_ will leave each other the fuck alone! This is ridiculous."

I gasped. "You want me to accept her apology? Carlisle, that's like asking me to—"

"YOU WANT ME TO APOLOGIZE? CARLISLE! THAT'S—"Alice yelled over my ranting.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" Carlisle cut the both of us off. "Alice you apologize right now and then go to your room; Bella, you accept and then go back to Jasper's room and do your homework! Now!" he seethed.

Alice and I glared at each other, our arms crossed over our chest petulantly. "Bella, from the bottom of my heart I am sorry. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" she asked, the sarcasm not lost on my ears.

I was going to tell her to shove it, but one look from Carlisle had me backtracking. "Yes, Alice, I forgive you for all the horrible things you have done and no doubt will be doing in the future," I said.

"Now, the both of you head to the room you're supposed to be going to," Carlisle said. Alice and I moved at the same time. "Oh, no, I don't like that. Bella, you go first and then Alice, you can go _after_ she's in Jasper's room."

I turned around walked out of the room. I ran as fast as I could to Jasper's room when I saw Edward leaning against wall by the stairs. I think he has touched me, but I shake it off as paranoia.

"Hey, Bambi, you look like you just saw a ghost," Jasper said from his spot on the couch.

I sat down next to him and got back in the same position I was in before I left; his hand was wrapped around my ankle again immediately.  
"I just had to accept an apology from _Alice_. That was a terrifying ordeal for me, Jasper, you have no idea," I said.

He studied me for a minute, his eyes narrowing at me in suspicion before a smirk played at his lips. "I'd say Carlisle yelling and cursing is even scarier," he said.

My eyes widened and I nodded and said, "Definitely!"

He snickered and after that we got quiet, working on our different things. The only time we moved or made noise was when I told Jasper to scoot down and I stretched my legs and he laid his head on my lap.  
We sat there for hours, comfortable in our silence, when the room door busted open.

"The wolves are here!" Emmett yelled.

Jasper jumped up suddenly and pulled me with him before rushing me down the stairs behind Emmett.  
"Owe!" I hissed and snatched my arm away from Jasper. "That hurt."

He turned to face me with a grimace on his face. "Bella, I'm sorry. I was just trying to get outside with Emmett and lost my head for a minute," he apologized.

"I know," I muttered before walking out the front door.

When I got outside I saw that Esme was holding Rosalie and Charlotte around the waist and Carlisle and Edward were holding Peter, who was fighting them roughly. His teeth were beard and he was growling wildly. Emmett ran over to Esme and took Rosalie off his hands while Jasper kept me shielded behind him slightly.

Sam was standing in the middle of our front yard in just shorts, three large wolves flanking him. "Remember we still have a treaty," Esme said loudly; however, I knew she was only speaking so loudly for my benefit.

"That treaty went fuckin' void the day one of these idiots decided to attack my daughter! " Peter growled out. "Now we have the right to rip them to fuckin' shreds."

Sam looked appalled. "I don't think that's necessary, Sir. Jacob is only a few weeks old; he's still trying to get the hang of being a werewolf. I just need to explain everything to him in more detail and tell him about the treaty."

"Fuck the goddamned treaty! Like my mate said, it is void!" Charlotte snapped.

"He didn't know!" Sam yelled, throwing his arms up in anger and exasperation.

Rosalie hissed and said, "She had a heartbeat! Are you trying to tell me that with his perfect hearing he didn't hear it? Or are you guys teaching the new wolves that vampires still have beating hearts?"

There was silence. He looked down at his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets, truly at a loss for words.  
"Which did it, Bambi?" Jasper asked me.

I pointed to the brownish-reddish wolf and all hell broke loose. Peter, Charlotte, and Rosalie were suddenly able to break free from their holds and all lunged for a different wolf, Peter headed straight for the one I pointed at. Sam quickly stripped and changed and I struggled to keep up with the movements.  
"STOP IT!" I yelled. Charlotte and Peter had their arms around the wolves necks and I could see they were about to break them. "You can't kill them."

They both released the dogs immediately and Emmett pulled the wolf, who was still snapping at Rosalie even though she'd decided to leave him alone, off of her. The wolves retreated slowly back into the wolves, their eyes never leaving us for a minute.  
"They're just going to put some clothes on. They are not leaving," Edward informed us.

_**~HTH~**_

We waited a good five minutes for them to get back and when they did my eyes widened when I saw that I couldn't tell which one attacked me anymore. I only recognized Sam.  
"I'd say we're even here, seeing as how your coven members attacked my brothers," Sam said officially.

"My _family_," Carlisle emphasized before continuing with, "only went after your brothers because someone attacked my granddaughter, Bella. Had he been more informed and more responsible this would not have happened. If anything, you are in our debt. I suggest you leave before anyone else in my family decides to collect."

I couldn't help the smile and small giggle that escaped me. Carlisle was just being all kinds of bad ass it was ridiculous. Jasper turned his head slightly and looked at me from the corner of his eye, smirking as well.  
The others looked at me then, but I looked past them and locked eyes with the brown-eyed Native American who looked furious with me.

I shivered involuntarily; there was my attacker.

He narrowed his eyes at me and said, "I lunged at her but stopped when I took notice of her heartbeat, though I wish I hadn't now. If I knew she was living with a bunch of bloodsuckers I would have ended her life right then. It would have been the smartest, nicest thing to do. Living with your kidnappers has to be a terrifying; or I could have just taken her home with me. I would have been better for her."

My shriek was louder than the growls that rumbled loudly around me. "My parents did not kidnap me, you prepubescent idiot! They saved me," I snapped at him. "And you couldn't have gotten me to go home with you even if my life depended on it, asshole. You're disgusting and vile and I think you should leave before my father collects the debt you now owe."

Jasper arm tightened around my waist and he squeezed slightly, his silent way of telling to me to hush. The wolf sneered at me. "And you're a brainwashed bitch who deserves everything she got and then some! You wretched, scarred whore!" he yelled.

"JACOB BLACK!" Sam yelled at the same time that Jasper lunged for him.

Jasper looked ferocious and animal-like in all his pissed off glory. His hand locked around the wolves, which I now know is Jacob, neck and flung him toward me. I jumped back with a gasp as he fell just a few feet away from me. Jasper was behind him instantly and sat him up on his knees by his hair.  
"Apologize," he growled fiercely.

I stared into the deep brown eyes of his and gasped before I stopped breathing all together. My left arm flew to my stomach immediately and wrapped around it. My gut started to tingle, for lack of a better word, and I had a funny feeling that something very, very bad was going to happen, but I didn't know what and that scared me. His eyes were filled with so much anger and hurt, but I could see the sadness and I wondered if it was all pointed at me or if there was more to his history.

Probably, I thought to myself.

"I'm sorry," he gritted out between clenched teeth.

Jasper threw him back to his dogs and Peter gave him a good punch in the junk for good measure.  
"Now take the rest of your dogs and get the fuck out of here," he snapped.

They turned around and ran immediately. I fell to the ground and let out a huge breath and began to gasp, as I'd been holding my breath for far too long and the tears I was trying to keep from falling fell; big and fat.

* * *

Later that night, after I retired in Jasper's study because I didn't want to go home, I found that I couldn't sleep. I knew I was no doubt going to have nightmares and the annoyingly stupid tears wouldn't stop falling.  
"I can't sleep right now because I'm too scared. I keep going over things in my head, but there's one question that scares me more than all the others. Do you know what that is?" I whispered to Jasper in the dark.

"No clue, brown eyes, but I know you'll tell me," he said.

"How did he know?"


	23. Chapter 23: Karaoke Night

_**Highway to Hell  
**_A|N: _I haven't posted in a while and I'm sorry; writer's block sucks ass, y'all – seriously. I also haven't responded to an anonymous review in a while, either, but I want to now._

ANON. REVIEW: First off, thank you for giving my story a chance. I appreciate that. It was critique and I need that as a writer. Second, I am well aware of how unorganized (and sloppy) my story is. The only excuse is that this was my first story and I didn't really think this one out all the way. When I first began my grammar was way off and I couldn't get the story to flow. I only just recently started writing down notes and things explaining my chapters and all that, so hopefully that gets me a little more organized. I also got my thoughts together. I knew how HTH was going to and when but I got sidetracked by some things and people that wanted it to go a different way. I'm back on the proper track, and I'm hoping the story will improve from this chapter for my readers who have put up with me and all my grammar issues, un-organization and M.I.A days from the beginning, _before_ I go back to the beginning and fix everything else.  
Thank you for taking the chance on me (my story) and giving me a review of what you thought without flaming me.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or anything dealing with the series** **– that all belongs to Stephanie Meyer; I'm just making my own world with hers.**

_Chapter 23: Karaoke Night (Uncovering more pieces)_

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the incident and everyone was sure I was paranoid – going insane. I wasn't. From the worried looks Dad would shoot me when he thought I wasn't paying attention, he knew it, too.

Question: why does everyone suddenly think you're crazy when you tell them a werewolf, or shape shifter, is following you?

Jacob was following me. I never saw him or heard him, but I could feel his eyes on me and the intensity at which he stared gave the same intense feeling I got when I first met him – hateful and jealous, I knew he was.

The others don't smell him. They don't see him, and they don't _feel_ him the way I do, so I'm automatically crazy and told to relax. _There's no one there and if there were, I wouldn't let him get to you,_ Jasper told me.

When he said that, it became one of those rare moments that I just wanted to break his freakin' face. He _actually_ looked at me like I was crazy. That hurt more than Charlotte doing it.

"What's taking you so long to try on the dress, Bella?" Rose called me from outside the dressing room.

Rosalie, Charlotte, Esme and I were currently in Seattle. We were walking around downtown to different shops and boutiques, hoping to take my mind off the "madness" that I've created – Emmett's words, not mine.

_Dealing with my inner turmoil all by my lonesome takes a long time! _I snapped in my head.

I pulled the zipper up and stared at myself in the mirror. The dress was purple, tight and stopped just low enough to keep my good from showing if I didn't bend over.

"Too short," Char said as soon as I walked out of the room.

I nodded. I knew that already, I just wanted to see her reaction. If it was too short for Charlotte then it will never see the light of the day with me.

I changed out of the dress and get back into my clothes: a simple white tank top, black skinny jeans and my converse. When I walked back out, Rose, Esme and Char were all huddled together, talking fiercely, the looks on their faces even fiercer. They stopped abruptly when I approached.

"What, uh, what's going on here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes in suspicion.

"Nothing," all three said together.

"I don't believe you." Since I was ahead of them, I turned around to face them and continued walking backwards.

"Trust us, Bella, it's nothing," Esme said, smiling at me, trying to reassure me.

I wasn't reassured or calm. When we walked back into the main room of the store I felt it immediately. The unyielding combination of hatred and jealousy that always made my skin crawl with unease and sent my heart into overtime.

I whirled around suddenly to face the exit of the shop and my gasp got stuck in my throat. He was wearing dark jeans and a matching hoodie with red sneakers. His hands were shoved in his pocket, so the only thing that could be seen of him was his face – his black eyes standing out.

"Jacob," I whispered, wide-eyed and panicked.

A small smirk formed on his lips and he winked at me before walking out of the store and took off running down the street.

"Bella, I need you to calm down and breathe."

I shook my head and felt the tears pooling up in my eyes. I couldn't breathe. I was panicking and the image of Jacob standing right in front of me wasn't helping.

Char's muddy-brown eyes were suddenly in front of me, and she was holding either side of my face in her hands. "You need to breathe, baby, please."

The tears that were blurring my vision fell when I blinked, and I let out a gasp and fell to my knees, breathing harshly. "T – This is what you were trying to hide from me? Jacob being here with us?"

"We didn't want to worry you, sweetheart," Esme murmured.

"Ha-ha, I've been worried for the past two weeks!" I snapped.

I stood up, pushing them off me, and headed for the exit, ignoring the calls from my family and the concerns of the shop workers.  
When the others finally came out, I was pacing in front of Carlisle's Mercedes. I got in the car, slid over to the far left, and rested my head on the window, ignoring them some more.

* * *

"Go away!" I yelled, and then fell face first on my bed. "I don't feel up to talking to you right now!"

"You don't even know who it is," Jasper said, sticking his head in threw the door.

"Well, I do now, and I _still _don't want to talk to you."

My room door shut and I cursed silently. I knew he was still standing there, but if I didn't acknowledge him, he'd go away.  
After a good ten minutes passed, I realized he wasn't going anywhere. He was just going to continue to stare at me.

I huffed in annoyance and sat up on my knees, rolling my eyes at the smirk that played on his lips when I gave in. "What do you want, Jasper?"

"To see if you're okay, Bambi," he replied.

"I'm fine. Can you get out now?" I pointed to the door and waited for him to turn around and leave but he didn't.

"I really hate it when people who know I am an Empath lie to me." Jasper walked farther into my room and sat down in my rocking chair. "Especially when it's you, Bambi – that shit irks me."

"And it irks me when you ask _me_ questions even though you already know the answers," I snapped. "Seriously, Jasper, why do you _always_ refuse to take 'leave me alone!' as an answer? "

He shrugged and leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his thighs. "Because I know you need someone to talk to."

"And you automatically assume I want or need it to be you?" I asked. "When I wanted to talk to you about my problems you brushed me off and in more complicated words you told me I was crazy, so forgive me if I rather _not_ talk to you."

"Bella…"

"Just get out." A flash of an emotion went through his eyes before he nodded and walked out of my room. I grabbed my pillow, threw it over my face, and shrieked before falling back on my bed. "God dammit!"

_**~HTH Two nights later~**_

"We've apologized, Bella. We know you're not crazy and we admitted that we need to listen to you about these things more, what else do we need to do? How long are you going to stay mad at us?"

I moved away from the refrigerator and walked over to the counter, cup and juice in hand. "I'm not mad at you, Dad. If I was, I wouldn't be talking to you right now, would I? If I was upset, I wouldn't be hanging out with Rosalie and Emmett, I wouldn't be talking to Jasper, and I wouldn't be going over to Esme and Carlisle's house every day after school still." I took a sip of my juiced, look over at him, and shrugged. "I'm not mad."

"That was a pretty speech, Bella, really, but I think I know you better than you're giving me credit for," he declared.

"Fine!" I huffed and sat down on the kitchen counter. "Jesus, Peter, why is it so hard for everyone to let me be _upset_ for a while? I'm just a little pissed off that everyone has been telling me for two weeks that I'm crazy and being paranoid, but then the other girls actually see Jacob and they want to keep it away from me! And not only that, but you are all walking around here having Y'alls secret squirrel conversations and planning things without including me! That hurts, you know, being excluded – especially since it involves me."

"We're just trying to protect you, Bells."

"Yeah, well, Jacob is still following me, so you're doing a damn good job, Dad!"

I grabbed the juice container and my cup, and then jumped off the counter, stomped out the kitchen, and headed up the stairs to my room.

A soft knock on my door brought me out the half-sleep I was in. I looked over at my clock and saw that it was nine-fifteen.  
"Come in." I sighed.

Charlotte walked in, softly shutting my door behind her, made her way over to me, and lied next to me on my bed. "Hi, sweet pea, how are you?"

"Tired, bored and grounded for hurting my dad's feelings. I'm feeling just peachy, Mom."

"Hurting people just 'cause you're hurting isn't always the best thing ever," she told me.

I sighed, and turned over to face her. "Mom, I…"

"It's not just Dad that you hurt, Bella. It's Jasper, Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle," she informed me. "You hurt me! You've never done that before."

I nodded my head and looked down. "I know. I just get this feeling that Jacob is out to get me, Mom. His following and staring is more than just being creep. He's taunting me and… Preparing me for whatever hell he wants to give me. I was pissed and wanted everyone to feel what I was feeling. I'm sorry. I didn't mean everything I said, really. I'll apologize to everyone else, too."

"I think you need a new defense mechanism. Attacking people isn't the best thing ever."

"I had one. Pretty much left my body in ruins and almost killed me, but who's thinking about that?"

When I looked back up, Char was glaring at me. "Not cute."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Not cute whatsoever. Come on, toots, we're leaving. Pete's un-grounding you for the night."

She pulled me off the bed and I raised an eyebrow at her as she headed for my door. "Where are we going?"

Before walking out, Char turned around and grinned at me. "It's _Karaoke night_, baby."

* * *

After showering and brushing my teeth, I put my hair into a messy bun with a small bow headband, stepped into a pair of red skinny jeans, put on a black tank top, and slipped on a pair of low top Chuck Taylor's. We were going to a karaoke bar, I decided simple was best.

When I got downstairs, Rosalie, Charlotte, Alice, and even Esme were all dressed similar to me, so I figured they were thinking the same thing. I noted with a smile that everyone, save for Edward, were all wearing converse. If we stood side-by-side, we would have every color in the rainbow.

I clasped my hands together behind my back, and rocked back and forth on my feet – toes to heel. I looked around the room, whistled loudly, and then rolled my eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Bella, why are you sorry when you didn't do anything? We're not upset or anything," Dad said.

I scowled at him. "Well, then, why the f…" I nodded and pursed my lips before shrugging. "That's cool, Peter. I'm sorry for what I said, but if you want to be mad at me, if you all want to stay mad at me, then that's fine. I'm still mad at y'all so we can make a party out of it! Let's all be pissed at each other."

I turned on my heel and walked outside where I had to decide whose car I would be riding in. I'd choose to go with Rosalie in her M3, but she always got stuck with Edward and Alice, much to her annoyance. If I went with Carlisle and Esme in his Mercedes, I'd get stuck sitting between my parents, and Peter would try to make the ride as awkward as possible.

My only option was to go with Emmett in his jeep with Jasper. That ride would probably be as awkward as the ride with Peter would be.

"You know when you apologize you're supposed to mean it, right?"

I jumped about a foot in the air and clutched at my chest, trying to get my heart to start beating at a normal pace again. "Jesus, Jasper, why do you insist on doing that?"

"I'm sorry. That time I wasn't even trying to scare you," he said. I scowled. "No, I'm serious this time. I was just trying to prove a point. You can't really take an apology seriously when you act like you don't mean it, do you?"

"I was being sincere with my apology, Jasper. I'm sorry if it wasn't up to your standards on how to give one," I snapped. I looked back over at Carlisle's Mercedes, thinking maybe the ride in-between my parents wouldn't be so bad.

"You're starting to get on my nerves, Isabella," he snapped back.

I stopped short at the sound of my name. It fell effortlessly from his tongue, sounding all beautiful in its scolding glory. There was an unidentifiable emotion in his voice when he said, too, but once again I couldn't identify it. He was also the only one who I would let get away with that, aside from my parents.

"Well, uh, you've been getting on my nerves since we met, so how 'bout that?" I turned on my heel and headed for Rosalie's car, screwing my face up and chastising myself for _that_ whack comeback.

"Where are you going?" he called from behind me.

"I've decided I'll do us both a favor and _not_ ride with you and Emmett."

"So you'd rather ride with Edward and Alice instead of having an honest conversation with me – minus all your snark, snaps and attitude."

"You called me annoying! I was leaving so you wouldn't have to put up with me."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I didn't call you annoying. I said you were getting on my nerves, and I don't put with you, I…"

"You what?" I asked him. He didn't say anything, so I rolled my eyes and said, "Right, Jasper, because 'annoying' and 'getting on my nerves' are _so _different from each other!"

"Yes, yes there are."

"Okay, Phineas, thanks for that!" I said and huffed in annoyance. "What exactly do you want from me, Jasper? I said sorry and I meant it! I'm angry, hurting, and I'm so very sorry for taking it out on you and everybody else!"

"And you feel this way why?"

"Because it feels like everyone is out to fuckin' get me! God, I know that's not true, but it feels like it. And then I try to tell everyone that I'm being watched and followed, but I get pushed to the side because I don't have super senses like you people. Not only that, but when it gets confirmed that I am indeed being followed, you all try and hide it from me! As if that's not bad enough, you go around making plans and shi trying to 'protect' me, not taking my feelings into account at all. I already feel inferior enough, Jasper, not including me in problems that involve _me_ doesn't help that!" During my rant, I moved back over to Jasper and began poking him in the chest for emphasis with my words. I removed my finger, backed up some, and looked him in the eye. "It isn't fair."

Jasper grabbed both sides of my face, and touched his forehead to mine. "Bella, _I_ am so sorry. We truly never meant to make you feel inferior. It's true we rely too heavily on our senses – it can give us a God complex if we don't watch ourselves. I don't know how Jacob did it, but we should have checked it out more. You _are_ Peter's child after all." His gold eyes burned into mine, and my heart sped up as his face got a little closer to mine. "I would also slaughter the whole entire world if they dare tried to fuck with you."

I laughed, but Jasper's lips on mine shut me up immediately. It caught me off guard, took me a minute or two to give in, but when I did, we were interrupted by the front door being thrown open roughly.

"I'm sorry, too, and I forgive you!" Rose shouted, running toward us.

I jumped away from Jasper in surprise. I laughed at the expression on her face and tensed, waiting for the impact of her hug. She spun me around and squealed in happiness.

"Put me down, you crazy banshee, 'fore I get sick _all_ over you!" I yelled, but I was laughing, so my threat wasn't so threatening.

Rose put me down immediately. "You wouldn't dare."

I nodded. "No, no I wouldn't. Thanks for forgiving me, because I forgive you."

"I knew you would," she said at the same time that Jasper replied, "Who's channeling their inner Phineas now, Bambi?"

"'Cause you're the real seer in this family," I joked, locking my arm with hers. I caught a glimpse of the confusion on Jasper's face when it became obvious I was ignoring him, and I saw him open his mouth to say something but I was already walking away toward Peter who was leaning against the front door, talking to the others.

As I approached, Charlotte slipped out of Peter's arm and stood off to the side with Esme, Carlisle and Emmett.  
"Hi, Dad," I said.

"Bella," he said, emotionless.

I sighed and grabbed his hand. "Dad, I'm sorry. Really. You've been trying to protect me for thirteen years, fourteen in a few weeks, and you've done a great job. I'm still here. You're doing an awesome job now, too, because Jacob hasn't gotten to me and I'm sorry that I said otherwise."

"I think I've been a damn fine job."

"Damn fine, Dad," I agreed. I grinned when he pulled me into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, let's stop before I lose my man card or something." He put me down and pushed me away playfully.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, right, sorry – too much emotion going on here, huh." He laughed, and I turned around to face Esme and Carlisle. "I…"

"You're sorry and we're sorry. We're all sorry and moving on now," Esme said, smiling gently at me.

I grinned back and looked over at Carlisle, who smiled as well and nodded. "Emmett?"

He grinned. "I was never upset with you, babe! I just didn't know whose side to take."

"Well, I'm not sorry," Alice announced.

"No one would have believed you even if you said you were," I replied.

"I'm sorry, too, Bella," Edward offered.

"Yeah," I said and turned away from him. His smile was giving me the creeps. "So, where are we going?"

Charlotte beamed. "There's a karaoke/poet bar in Port Angeles. That's where we're going now."

Everyone broke apart and headed for the cars they'd be riding in, and as I made my way to Rosalie's car I felt a pair of eyes burning into the back of my head. When I got in Rosalie's car, I looked up to see that it was Jasper staring at me, confusion written all over his face.

I shrugged at him and turned away.

_**~HTH~**_

"Four cokes, four beers and two vodka cranberries," our waiter said, handing us each our drinks. Carlisle, Peter, Emmett and Jasper got the beers, Esme and Charlotte got the vodka cranberries, while Rosalie, Edward, Alice and I got the cokes because we looked the youngest and couldn't pass for twenty-one.

"Wow," I said when the waiter, Aubrey, walked away.

"'Wow' what?" Rosalie asked me.

I smirked. "That guy was hot."

"Oh, thank God someone said something!" Char yelled. "I was thinking the same thing!"

"He was handsome," Esme agreed, snickering.

Rosalie snorted. "No, Carlisle is handsome, that guy was hooooot."

"Is that an insult?" Carlisle asked.

I laughed and said, "Rose, I looooove how you dragged that word out! No, Carlisle, that wasn't an insult. You're probably hot in Esme's eyes."

"Very much so," she said firmly, playful.

Alice shrugged. "He's all right."

"And you need glasses," Charlotte informed her. "Look, honey, you're going to have to get over it – Jasper's doesn't want you. If you don't get over it, you'll be alone for the rest of your life."

Alice rolled her eyes but did not respond, and I laughed when Rosalie very loudly declared, "She'll be alone forever regardless if she gets over him or not! No one will put up with this hag for as long as he did."

"Be nice!" Esme snapped.

"That was nice," Char and I mumbled together.

Esme glared at everyone at the table, save for Carlisle, when they broke out into chuckles. "I understand that Alice hasn't been the nicest person ever, especially to you Bella, but I will not tolerate this childish behavior any longer. You all keep it up, though, if you want Carlisle to get on your cases again."

That shut everyone up. An angry Carlisle was just as scary, if not a little scarier, as an angry Esme. The two of them angry at the same time, in cahoots, was something I never wanted to experience. "Sorry, Esme," we all mumbled together.

"Ladies and Gentleman, thank you all for joining us tonight at the Bar, Grill and Stage," an announcer, the DJ, said into the microphone. "It's Tuesday, which means all my couples and best friends need to get their game faces on – it's duet night, y'all!"

People in the crowd, regulars I guessed, cheered at the news while everyone at my table, including me, groaned at the news. Charlotte had already informed us about this before we walked inside and announced that she would be the one pairing people and picking the songs.

"Cheer up, people. You're all acting like I'm going to pick the most embarrassing songs ever," she said, scowling.

"You, Charlotte, pick something embarrassing for us? _That_ never crossed our minds," Peter replied sarcastically.

"Don't get smart with me, Peter Whitlock." Char rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I have my pairs picked out, so let me go put them in." She stood up and began to walk away.

"Wait! You're not going to tell us first?" I asked her.

"No." She walked away over to the DJ and spent a good five minutes signing us all up before coming back to us. "We're all set."

"We're all scared," Peter told her.

"Will you stop it!" Charlotte hit him in the chest.

He rubbed at it and winced in mock pain. "I'm just stating the truth, baby. No one trusts you with things this serious."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at us all. "Is this true? Do you all really not trust me?"

"No, Mom, we trust you – we're just worried we'll be thoroughly embarrassed and won't be able to show our faces here again," I said.

"Then you don't trust me," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "I was joking! Geez, Mom, calm your nerves, okay? We trust you. We wouldn't have agreed to this idea, which was yours, if we didn't."

Char rolled her eyes. "I appreciate your trying."

"All right, Ladies and Gents, our first duet for the night are Carlisle and Emmett – Free by Ben Kweller," the DJ said.

Carlisle and Emmett stared at each other in surprise before shrugging, getting up, and headed for the stage.

"You two are hot!" a random lady yelled out. The crowd cheered.

"I'm married," Carlisle said.

"I've got a girlfriend," Emmett replied.

The crowd roared with laughter when the lady replied, "Well, that suck ass!"

Carlisle and Emmett laughed, taking their seats on the two stools that had been placed in front of two microphone stands that were on the stage. The lights dimmed and the music started.

_Carlisle:  
Everybody wants the password, everybody wants the green light.  
Everybody wants the eye drops that make the colors of the future bright.  
But I don't need any answers to get me through another 24, 'cause anytime I have the gold key,  
I get locked outside another door._

_Be sure that you wanna be free (Emmett: freee)  
be sure that you wanna be free (Emmett: freee)_

_Emmett:  
Got a glimpse of the fortune, not as good as comin' home.  
Wish the "headman's handbook" was nothin' that I ever, ever owned."  
But it's too late for anger and there's no more time for Lady Luck.  
She's lookin' for a stranger; all she wants to do is…_

_Be sure that you wanna be free (Carlisle: freee)  
be sure that you wanna be free (Carlisle: freee)_

_Carlisle and Emmett:  
Everybody wants the last word 'cause they cannot tell when it's through, desperately delivered to you.  
We got too many people standin' still like nothin's wrong.  
We all came to throw away the hassle but the line was too long._

_Be sure that you wanna be free (freee).  
Be sure that you wanna be free (freee).  
Be sure that you wanna be free (free).  
Be sure that you wanna be free (freee) and stand up._

There were cheers for them and people began chanting "encore," but the DJ kindly told them to shut up because there were other people waiting in line.  
A cute older couple sang I Will Always Love You before the DJ said, "The next people performing for us are a Rosalie and Esme – Without a Word by Birdy."

"Oh, Char, I love that song!" Rosalie said, excited. She jumped up and grabbed Esme's hand and ran them to the stage.

"Awesome choices so far, Ma," I said, smiling at her, and she grinned back.

"You two are smokin'!" a guy yelled out.

"My husband just performed," Esme replied.

"My boyfriend will kick your ass," Rosalie informed him.

"Hell yeah!" Emmett boomed while the rest of us snickered.

The lights once again dimmed and the music began. Rose swayed softly side-to-side when Esme began signing.

_Esme:  
And you can tell the world that you're leaving.  
And you can pack your bags and spread your wings.  
And you can tell them all that it's over.  
But while you wave goodbye, I'll be getting closer._

_Esme and Rosalie:  
Stand there and look into my eyes,  
and tell me that all we had were lies.  
Show me that you don't care, and I'll stay here if you prefer.  
Yes, I'll leave you without a word –  
Without a word._

_Rosalie:  
And you can tell the world that you're tired, but your excuses – they won't work,  
'cause I'll know that you're lying.  
Every time that I see your face, I notice all the suffering.  
Just turn to my embrace, I won't let you come to nothing._

_Rosalie and Esme:  
Stand there and look into my eyes,  
and tell me that all we had were lies.  
Show me that you don't care, and I'll stay here if you prefer.  
Yes, I'll leave you without a word –  
Without a word._

Five more couples went after them before the DJ announced it was time for Peter and Alice to come up – Habits by Maria Mena featuring Mads Langer.

Peter glared at Charlotte. "What the _fuck,_ Char!"

"No one else was with their mate, Peter. It wouldn't have been fair if we were," she answered calmly.

"So you think it's a good idea to fuckin' pair me with her?"

"Shut up with your complanin', Peter! I'm with Edward and he's far worse than Alice."

"Gee, thanks," Edward said.

"Peter and Alice, are you two coming up or can I move on?" DJ asked.

Peter huffed, stood up, and headed for the stage, Alice trailing behind him slowly.

_Alice:  
I am a creature of habit and I move in circles around you.  
I will admit there's a pattern, one I've created myself._

_None of my lovers dared leave me.  
I grew impatient and stale.  
Didn't look back once I'd left them 'cause I always expected to fail._

_But this time it's different, the rules don't apply –  
but I need some distance to step out of line._

_So grant me this wish and meet me back here in a year.  
If we still exist, I can let go of my fear – fear of normalcy, fear of the solid walls of our future and let go of my past._

_Peter:  
I must be crazy to want this, 'cause you are the girl of my dreams.  
But I'm prone to ruin the good things – cautious 'round balance it seems._

_Alice and Peter:  
But with you it is different, the rules don't apply -  
but I need some distance to step out of line._

_So grant me this wish and meet me back here in a year.  
If we still exist, I can let go of my fear – fear of normalcy, fear of the solid walls of our future and let go of my past._

_So grant me this wish, and meet me back here in a year.  
If we still exist, I can let go of my fear – fear of normalcy, fear of the solid walls of our future and let go of my past._

There was clapping but no cheering, as the song left a somber mood. Peter and Alice came back to our table and sat down, not saying a word.

"That worked out better than you expected, didn't it?" Char asked him when he sat next to her, not gloating in the least.

"You have a beautiful voice, Alice," Rosalie offered, even gave a small smile.

"Thanks," Alice whispered.

"I am seriously starting to get depressed here, people," Emmett announced. "Someone needs to do _something _to lighten the mood or something."

I shook my head. "Uh-oh, when Emm's depressed you _know_ something's wrong."

There were chuckles all around and Emmett went to say something but the DJ cut him off.

"Jasper and Bella – Tip of My Tongue by The Civil Wars."

My eyes widened in surprise. I wasn't expecting that but I guess I should have. Char's been acting weird around me and toward me whenever Jasper was mentioned or around and I had no idea why – his mood swings weren't helping either.

"That's my favorite song," I said, still surprised.

First we share that kiss that was more amazing than I would have liked to admit, and now Jasper and I have to sing my favorite song? A song that was all emotions and "I love you's."

"I'm aware of that," Char answered, smirking.

I looked over at Jasper, but he wouldn't look at me – he was too busy staring at my Dad, who was too busy glaring at him to notice my confusion.

I stood up, successfully gaining the attention of everyone. "Are we going up or not? The DJ doesn't strike me as a very patient man."

Jasper shrugged. "I guess we are."

He stood up after I walked past him and we made our way to the stage.

"Jesus, are you all together or something?" the random guy and lady yelled out together, once again gaining laughs.

I chuckled. "Something like that."

Jasper and I sat down on the stools just as some guy came up to us, guitar in hand. He gave it to Jasper. "There you go," he said.

"What's this?" Jasper asked, confused.

"It's a Martin," they guy replied.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I know what kind of guitar it is, but why are you giving it to me?"

The guy shrugged. "It was on your request sheet." He walked away.

Jasper sighed. "Guess it's a good thing I know the song or that would look bad, huh?"

"You know the song? I thought you weren't particularly fond of The Civil Wars," I said, frowning.

"I'm not. You – I just wanted to play this one," he answered.

Before I could respond to that, the lights dimmed and Jasper began playing. Much like Rosalie, I began to sway softly to the music and began to sing. We were two of the few people who didn't need the lyrics on the screen to sing the song.

**(Bella) **(Bella and Jasper)

_Bella:  
You're a red string tied to my finger, a little love letter I carry with me.  
You're sunlight, smoke rings and cigarettes –  
outlines and kisses from silver screens._

_Jasper:  
Oh __**(ha)**__, dear __**(ha)**__, never saw __**(ha)**__ you coming __**(ha)**__.  
Oh __**(ha)**__, my __**(ha)**__, look __**(ha)**__ what you have done __**(ha)**__.  
You're __**(ha)**__ my __**(ha)**__ favorite __**(ha)**__ song __**(ha)**__, (always on)_

_Bella:  
The tip of my tongue._

_Jasper:  
You own me_

_Bella:  
With whispers like poetry.  
Your mouth is a melody I memorize._

_Jasper:  
Mmmm, so sweet_

_Bella:  
I hear it echo everywhere I go, day and night._

_Jasper:  
Oh __**(ha)**__, dear __**(ha)**__, never saw __**(ha)**__ you coming __**(ha)**__.  
Oh __**(ha)**__, my __**(ha)**__, look __**(ha)**__ what you have done (ha).  
You're __**(ha)**__ my __**(ha)**__ favorite (ha) song __**(ha)**__, (always on)  
the tip of my tongue,  
the tip of my tongue._

I closed my eyes and listened to the Jasper's playing, a small, serene smile playing on my lips.

_Jasper:  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (ha), dear __**(ha)**__, never saw (ha) you coming __**(ha)**__.  
Oh __**(ha)**__, my __**(ha)**__, look __**(ha)**__ what you have done __**(ha)**__.  
You're __**(ha)**__ my __**(ha) **__favorite __**(ha)**__ song __**(ha)**__, (always on) –  
Oh, oh, oh __**(ha),**__ dear, never saw __**(ha)**__ you coming __**(ha).**__  
Oh __**(ha)**__, my __**(ha)**__, look __**(ha)**__ what you have done __**(ha)**__.  
(You're __**(ha)**__ my __**(ha)**__ favorite song, always on the tip of my tongue). _

_Bella:  
Hoo, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…  
Hoo, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…_

I opened my eyes and smiled at the applause and cheers we got, but I grinned when I spotted my family, going absolutely crazy with their applause and yelling.

"I'm a little scared of going over there," I whispered to Jasper. "Emmett looks like King Kong on drugs."

Emmett flipped me off and the both of us laughed. Jasper grabbed my hand stood up. "Come on, Bambi, I'll protect you from the wild beast on drugs."

I giggled and let him pull me along, stopping briefly to give the guy his guitar back, and sat back in my seat between Rosalie and Emmett.

"That was so good! You two could probably give Paul and Joy a run for their money," Rosalie said, hugging me.

I snickered. "We were good, Rose, I know that, but I don't think we'll come close to sounding as good as those two. I'm convinced their together. That's too much chemistry to be 'just friends.'"

"I feel the same way but not about them," she said.

"Then who?"

"You."

"Me?"

"For someone who doesn't like The Civil Wars, he sure did know all the words and the tune perfectly," Emmett said, giving Jasper a pointed look.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I know the one song and automatically become a Civil Wars fan. Gee, can't a guy catch a break around here?"

"No," Peter snapped, taking a sip of his beer casually when we all looked at him.

I frowned. He'd been acting weird around Jasper and me, too and glaring at him all tonight.

"And our last couple for the night: Charlotte and Edward – Hold On by Alabama Shakes," the DJ announced, cutting off whatever Jasper was about to say toward Dad.

"That's a nice song," Emmett said. "I got it when it was free on iTunes."

Char nodded. "Bella told me and showed me the song. I liked it, too."

"I don't know it," Edward said.

"Too bad, lover boy, let's go." Char stood up and headed for the stage, Edward trailing behind her like a lost puppy.

_Charlotte:  
Bless my heart, bless my soul.  
Didn't think I'd make it to twenty-two years old.  
There must be someone up above sayin,  
"Come on, Brittney, you got to come on up."_

_Charlotte and Edward:  
You've got to hold on.  
Yeah, you've got to hold on._

_Yeah, you've got to wait.  
Yeah, you've got to wait,  
but I don't wanna wait – don't wanna wait._

_Edward:  
So bless my heart, bless my mind.  
I got so much to do, I ain't got much time.  
Well, must be somebody up above sayin,  
"Come on, girl, you've got to get back up."_

_Charlotte and Edward:  
You've got to hold on.  
Yeah, you've got to hold on._

_Yeah, you've got to wait.  
Yeah, you've got to wait,  
but I don't wanna wait – don't wanna wait._

_Charlotte:  
No, I don't wanna wait!  
You've got to hold on.  
You've got to hold on.  
You've got to hold on.  
You've got to hold on._

"And that's our karaoke night, y'all," Char said when they came back to the table.

Rose grinned at her. "And it went better than any of us thought, Char. Next time we come here, though, it has to be singles night. I feel like doing a little _You Oughta Know_."

"Emmett, your girl feels like channeling her inner Alanis Morissette. What did you do?" I asked him.

Emmett laughed. "I didn't do anything this time, I swear! Rose just has her moments."

"That's true," Rosalie agreed.

"Are we leaving now or are we staying to listen to the poets?" Peter asked Charlotte.

"I want to listen to them, but we can leave if the rest of you are all ready to go," she told him.

Peter shook his head. "We can stay if they want to leave."

"I wanna stay, too," I replied.

The others save for Carlisle and Esme, decided to stay as well. "We're going to head home," Esme announced.

"Busy work day tomorrow," Carlisle added.

"Goodnight," Esme said, grabbing Carlisle's hand and dragging him away.

"They're moving really faster there," I noted.

Alice snorted. "That's because Carlisle doesn't have to work tomorrow until nine PM."

"Oh, my, Carlisle's 'bout to get it in," Emmett sang.

"All day and night," Rosalie finished.

I mock gagged. "You're making a mockery of my favorite song – with my grandparents having sex. That's the worse."

Emmett giggled. "Yeah, shits nasty ain't it?"

I laughed and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Do you want me to go? I'll protect you with my mad vampire skills," Rosalie said.

I snorted. "I think I can handle myself going to the restroom."

"We'll see," she replied.

I rolled my eyes and walked away. I was almost past the bar when a hand wrapped around my forearm softly and pulled me back gently. I turned, ready to kick to guy when it hurts the most, and stopped short when I saw that it was our waiter.

He raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to give you this."

I raised an eyebrow and took the yellow sticky note out of his hand. I unfolded the paper, and my eyes widened when I realized that he was giving me his number.

"Um, am I giving this to someone…?"

Aubrey laughed. "'Course not, it's for you."

"This is for me?" I asked in surprised.

He grinned. "It is. If you decide not to call me, that's cool. If you do call me, that'd be awesome. I'm not going to force your or anything. I just thought you'd like to know that I am an option."

I laughed and said, "That's good to know, Aubrey. You're a nice… option, so thanks for that."

"Since you know my name, do I get to know yours?" he asked, still grinning.

"Bella," I told him.

"Pretty," he replied.

"Thanks," I said, turned back around, and headed again toward the bathroom.

I walked through the open door that led to the bathroom and froze. The woman's bathroom was at the end of the hall, next to the exit, and I just happened to look up from the ground as I was walking and I saw him. And then she walked out of the bathroom.

Their red eyes burned into mine, and my breathing hitched. I wanted to run but, my feet wouldn't move. In the back of my head I knew to scream, but my mouth wouldn't open. When my feet _did_ start working, I found myself walking _toward_ him instead of away.

"We have to go," the redhead growled out, pulling on his arm.

He shook her off and was suddenly in front of me. My heart sped up, and my breathing was coming in short gasps but I still couldn't bring myself to move away from him.

"James, we have to go," the redhead hissed. She grabbed onto his arm with both hands and began pulling him toward the exit.

A hand was on my forearm, pulling me backwards, and Peter was running out the back door, chasing after James and his female companion.  
The whole time James and I never took our eyes off of each other.

* * *

"Bella, can we talk?" Jasper whispered.

The ride home was silent and awkward. I had no idea where Peter was, but I knew he was following after James – James, my ex boyfriend, James, who was now a vampire and just as capable at fighting as Peter. My heart was beating faster than I thought healthy and my thoughts were racing, a hundred different things per minute.  
Carlisle and Esme were trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and I was trying to get into my room to avoid everybody.

"Jasper, I really don't want to talk about James right now, please. Don't make me do it," I begged.

He shook his head and grabbed my hand, pulling me closer to him. "I won't make you talk about that, I promise. That's not what I want to talk about right now, anyway. I wanted to talk to you about what happened before we left."

"What happened before we left?" I asked, frowning in confusion. "Oh."

"Yeah," he said. "I…"

"Obviously that kiss meant nothing," I said.

Jasper stared at me in surprise. "It didn't?"

"Nothing whatsoever, we were both just caught up in the moment and that's that, right? I don't see why we need to talk about a mistake," I told him.

"It meant nothing to you _and_ it was a mistake?" he asked me, his face and eyes once again unreadable.

I ran my hair through my hair and felt the tears pool in my eyes. I was starting to feel suffocated, and I was now terrified because not only was Jacob after me, but I was willingly giving myself up to James! There was something wrong with me and that scared me.  
And my heart broke just a little when Jasper let loose his emotions for just a moment, but it was long enough for me to realize I wasn't the only one feeling different things here.

"Jasper, I'm tired…"

"All right," he said and turned around to head back down the stairs.

My heart hurt as bad as my head, watching him walk down the stairs without him even offering to help put me to sleep. He would have yesterday. "Will you stay and help me, _please_?"

He walked back up the stairs five minutes later and walked into my room without a word. He didn't have to say a word or share his emotions for me to know that he was angry. I sighed and then sighed again when I walked into my room and saw him sitting in my rocking chair.

_Definitely mad,_ I thought to myself.

"Are you taking a shower first?" he asked, voice perfectly even.

I shook my head. "I don't feel like it; I'm just going to take one tomorrow." I grabbed a pair of pajama shorts from my drawer, changed in my closet, and then got in bed. "G'night, Jasper."

"Night, Bella," he replied.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Whatever."

* * *

"_Mom, where are you?" I screamed, looking around frantically._

_Fat, angry tears rolled down my face as I suddenly found myself a four-year-old again. I was back in the woods on the day my parents died. We'd been camping – our third trip that year – when suddenly my parents were gone, their screams that last sounds I heard from them._

_They were removed from their logs one-by-one, a tornado of fire, sparkling red being the only thing I saw. I screamed when the tornado circled me, laughing at me – taunting me. It was suddenly gone just as fast as it came and I stood up and ran in the direction I thought my parents were in._

_I was an extremely clumsy kid, so I tripped, stumbled, and fell more times than anyone would have like while running for their lives._

"_Daddy, where are you?" I cried._

_The sound of a breaking branch under heavy weight had me moving again, but I didn't get very far. I didn't __**go **__at all, I tripped over a fallen tree, and when I turned on my back I screamed loudly._

_Someone was standing above me, but it was too dark to see his face. I could only make out his silhouette and he was tall, taller than my dad, and he was lanky._

"_I – I…"_

_Words escaped me. He bent down and a gasp got caught in my throat. In the darkness his ruby red eyes stood up like a sore thumb, begging for attention.  
He cupped the side of my face, his fingers wet and warm, and moved it along my face and over my lips, smearing whatever was on his hands onto me._

_I licked my lips on instinct and gagged. It was blood. Tears pooled into my eyes because my little four-year-old mind had just put the puzzle pieces together – I just tasted my parents' blood._

"_Don't cry, my precious," he whispered. "I had to get them out the way so we could be together! They would have never allowed me to have you, all sweet and innocent as you are. We can't be together now, though, because there are people looking for me. Will you wait for me, my precious?"_

_I shook my head furiously and yelled, "NO!"_

_He tusked. "Why will you not wait for me, my little precious? I love you and you're mine!"_

"_LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed, crying more now._

_He chuckled. "You'll see how much I mean to you soon, my precious Bella. Right now, though, I only have one word for you: run."_

_And I did. I ran and I ran and I ran some more until I fell. The moonlight was bright enough for me to see what I tripped over. I spent minutes throwing up, his laughter ringing loudly in my ears, as the image of my parents' decapitated bodies played around in my head._

_I stood up and began running again, crying and whimpering in pain as all the falling had taken their toll on my ankle._

_I hopped along pathetically, screaming whenever his whispered words of "run" and "I love you, my precious" reached my ears._

_After what felt like hours, a wooden cabin came into my view. Forgetting about my hurt ankle, I ran faster.  
"Bella, you just need to keep running! There will be no use for you in there!" he yelled._

_I didn't listen. I ran in the house and hoped for the best._

_**HTH – Third POV – **_

"_She's just a child! We can't kill her!"_

"_Well, we can't keep it, either, Char! There are two decapitated people out in the woods and a little girl covered in blood in our home! We'll get blamed for this! Do you know how much attention that'll get us? It will __**not **__be good!"_

_Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise – up until then Peter – her mate – had been keeping his cool. Two hours passed and Char was still standing protectively over the child, ready to attack if need be; while Peter was pacing, thinking of a way to get rid of the thing._

_He sighed eventually; he wasn't going to fight his mate. "I-if we're going to keep her, we can't go around calling her 'it,'" he whispered.  
Charlotte squealed and threw him to the ground, covering him in kisses._

_Thirty more minutes passed eventually, and the girl woke up, her chocolate brown eyes wide and watery._

_**HTH – First POV – **_

_I woke up and immediately tensed. A beautiful blonde woman and a handsome brunette were standing in front of me, peering down at me like __**he **__had been. Their red eyes were like his and I was already associating red eyes with killers and monsters._

"_It's okay, sugar. My name is Charlotte, what's yours?" the blonde woman asked._

"_Isabella, but I like Bella," I answered. I scooted closer to the woman. I was scared, but her sweet smile and soft voice brought me comfort, and I just wanted to be held by someone who wasn't out to hurt me._

"_Bella, do you remember what happened to your mommy and daddy?" the man asked._

_I shook my head. I didn't want to talk about it but even if I did, I could hardly remember. I tried but nothing was coming back to me._

"_Charlotte and I like you, can we keep you?" he asked._

_My eyes widened in surprise but I liked the thought of being with them – especially the blonde. I looked at her and asked, "Will you be my new mommy?"_

* * *

I sat up abruptly and gasped, hot tears streaming down my face. The events of my dream played over and over in my head, a VCR stuck on repeat.

"Oh, God, I was there!" I yelled. Everyone was in my room now, staring at me intently. I looked over at Peter and Charlotte, wide-eyed and distraught. "I saw it all. H – He, he smeared their blood on my face and then made me run and laughed at me every time I fell and… Dad, he killed my parents and laughed about it!"

Peter pulled me into a hug and squeezed me as tightly as he could without breaking me. "What else do you remember?"

"He said he loved me and asked me if I would wait for him and I told him no," I replied.

"Did he say anything else?" Emmett asked me.

"Just that he had to kill my parents because they wouldn't have allowed us to be together while I was all sweet and innocent and that we couldn't be together after that because people were looking for him. He called me his precious – a serious case of Lord of the Ring blue balls – and then told me to run. He was pissed when I found you and Mom's cabin."

"Well, he was apparently obsessed with you, so I can see that. Do you remember anything about him? Did you see anything?" Peter asked.

I shook my head. "I…"

"Bella, it was dark and you were four. No one is going to blame you for not being able to see him or remember anything," Char said.

"It _was _dark," I said. "He was tall and lanky and he drank from humans."

"Do you remember anything else? Something that could help us find this guy?"

"No!" I snapped.

Peter rubbed my lower back gently. "I didn't mean it to come out as impatient as it did, Bella. I'm just trying to make sure you remember as much as you can."

"He had red hair," I said suddenly. "Or something close to it – I remember calling a tornado of sparking red. I guess it was his skin that was sparkling in the moonlight and his hair was red."

"That's helpful," Peter said. I pushed away from his chest and narrowed my eyes at him. "I didn't mean it that way, Bella, for real. It _is_ helpful."

"I don't see how!" I hissed. "If I were able to see his face, that would be helpful but I didn't and now I have some other psycho out to get me and I don't even know who he is!"

"What was your other nightmare about, Bella?" Rosalie asked me.

I shrugged. "It was this dream but less detailed. There was another tornado of color, though. This color was a russet-brown-reddish color."

"Is this the same person just broken up in two or two people working together?" Char said questionably.

"I don't know," I said helplessly.

"We'll figure it out, sweetheart," Esme said, patting my leg gently.

Rose nodded. "This guy could be dead, too, Bella, remember that. If he was that much of an asshole to a four-year-old girl, then he was an asshole to a vampire with a temper. It's most likely that he's dead, but if he's not dead than we're all here for you."

Carlisle nodded. "We are."

"Where's Jasper?" I asked them all, looking around. "I didn't ask earlier because I was panicking but now I want to go back to sleep and I won't be able to without him. Where is he?" I was becoming hysterical.

"He went hunting," Emmett answered me immediately.

"Well, tell him to come home! I need him," I cried.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Jasper turns his cell phone off when he goes hunting and we won't turn it on until he's done."

"Why'd he leave without saying goodbye?" I asked.

Peter shrugged. "He said you were sleeping too good to disturb. He didn't kiss you on the cheek or anything?"

He was trying to make me feel better with the last line but it wasn't working. "No, I would have woken up if he did. I know it. I don't know why I didn't wake up when he left. I usually always do."

"He said he was tired and wasn't going to stick around forever it wasn't going to matter," Rosalie told me coldly. "He usually hunts for three days. He'll be back then. I love you, Bells, and I'll see you in the morning. Get some sleep."

"She's upset with me," I said after she left.

"Yeah," Emmett said, not even trying to deny it like the others.

"Why?"

"She'll tell you when she's ready. We should go – you do need to get some sleep. Long ass night, baby Whitlock."

They all left save for my parents after a round of "G'night" and "I love you's." "I'll call you Bambi if it makes you feel better," Peter said.

"It doesn't," I replied.

"He'll be back." Char kissed me on the forehead. "Do you want us to stay?"

I chuckled. "God, that sounds nice, but I'm fine. If I can't get to sleep in some hours you two will need to comeback."

They both nodded, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and left.

I lied back down and got comfortable, surprised that sleep found me so easily.

* * *

_**HTH – Some Hours Later –**_

"Goodnight, my precious, I love you."


	24. Chapter 24: The Next Few Days, pt 1

_**Highway to Hell  
**_A|N: I think the last chapter was my best yet – best writing and it gave us insight on the night Bella and her parents met. Also, I'm sorry this is so late. I haven't been feeling like myself these past couple of weeks and I've seemed to have lost all my motivation, inspiration and such things. That's the reason it's so short, too. It's coming back to me slowly, though.

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or anything dealing with the series – that all belongs to Stephanie Meyer; I'm just briefly borrowing her characters and using them as my own. I'll give them back… eventually. **_

_Chapter 24: The Next Few Days, pt. 1_

* * *

**Day One:**

I was thankful that it was Saturday. I was jumpy and constantly looking over my shoulder – I wouldn't have made it all day at school. Jacob attending my high school didn't help matters either.

"We can always just pull you out," Charlotte said when I brought up my worries of going to school with him.

I shook my head. "Mom, you can't just pull me out of school. I mean, you can, but then I'll be behind and won't be able to graduate."

"We can always pull you out of Forks High but keep you in school, Bella. We could always home school you, too," she said.

"You so could, couldn't you, Mom? What, with your many degrees in teaching and literature and mathematics." I grinned at her when she rolled her eyes. "I don't see why you went and got all those and refuse to become a teacher. Seems like a waste to me."

She shrugged. "It doesn't interest me. I only did it because there was nothing else to do. I always worked on my degrees when Peter and I found a place that was permanent for a year or two."

I sighed. "I'll toughen out. He hasn't done anything yet and maybe he won't. 'Sides, Emm, Rose, and Jasper are around. They'll keep me safe, right?"

"Do you really need to ask?" came Emmett's booming voice.

I turned to see the other's coming in the room. When I saw that they were sans Jasper I sighed and had to remind myself that Jasper was out hunting and wouldn't be back until Monday.

"No, I don't _need_ to ask, I was just sayin'," I said and shrugged.

"Jasper will be back soon," Rosalie said.

I shrugged. "I wasn't looking for him."

Rosalie and I stared each other down, a million unheard words passing through us. She was calling me out on my lie and I was telling her to shove it. She wanted me to admit the feelings that I was trying to keep hidden and I wanted her to let it go.

"You two look like y'all are about to start World War III," Emmett said. "Stop it, chill out."

"I can't chill out if Rosalie refuses to do so!" I snapped.

Rosalie shook her head. "Oh, shut up, Bella! You know why I'm upset and, frankly, I think I have good reason to be."

"Well, until you feel like explaining that 'good reason' to me, you need to stop your glaring and leave me the hell alone."

**Day Two:**

It felt weird, not having Jasper around. I never thought much of it when he left for hunting before, but now I feel like I'm missing something. His leaving can't be all because I said our kiss meant nothing, though it did make him pretty upset.

I wish I told him I was lying.

That kiss meant so much more and then some. My heart swelled and for the briefest of moments I felt whole – home.

That scared me.

**Day Three:**

"Are you okay?" Emmett asked me.

I looked around the cafeteria, searching, and nodded my head. "I haven't seen Jacob at all today."

He nodded. "I don't think he's here. I have two classes with the kid."

"Oh, all right. That makes me feel better," I told him. "I'm fine. Where's Rosalie?"

"She got held up in World History. Her teacher thinks she plagiarized her ten-page paper and is trying to get to the bottom of it right now, so she might be missing lunch."

I nodded and went back to eating my pizza. We were quite after that, Alice and Edward the only ones talking – of what I have no idea. Rosalie and I weren't talking.

She was pissed at me. It was understandable, I guess. I was being rightfully blamed for hurting Jasper. I was the reason he took off a week early for his hunting trip. I would be there when he got back to make it better, though.

_**~HTH~**_

"I'm too scared to go to sleep," I said.

"I can stay here with you tonight if it'll help," Peter said.

We were sitting on my bed staring at the ceiling. We were supposed to be talking more about my dream but we never got around to it. The silence wasn't awkward or forced – we were genuinely enjoying each other's company.

I nodded my head. "I'd like that very much."

**Day 7:**

I was going to die, I knew. At the very least, I was going to have a heart attack. It was Friday, Jasper never came back, and my heart hurt. I had to go home early because it hurt so fuckin' bad.

I clutched tightly at my chest, above my heart. My chest was tight and I was gasping, feeling like I was being suffocated by an invisible bag or smothered by an invisible pillow – more like someone was gripping tightly onto my neck, cutting off my airwaves.

Tears were streaming down my face as I begged Carlisle to fix me, to do something, but he only looked at me sadly and said there was nothing he could do.

"You're a fuckin' doctor! What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" I asked him, hysterical – sobbing now.

"Bella, there's nothing I can do because this _isn't_ a medical problem. It's an emotional pain, Bella, one you get when…"

"CARLISLE!" Esme yelled, appearing in my room suddenly, flanked by the others. "You hush your mouth now."

"I will hush my mouth, Esme?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. He stood up and turned his back on me, facing them. "I will not be hushing up! That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth, Esme. This girl, _our_ girl, our Bella, is hurting and begging for answers, but yet you all scold me when I try to give them to her?  
I offered to keep quiet and not say anything because Jasper assured me he would tell her himself, so I said nothing, but know he's not even _here_ and now look what he's doing! He's thinking about calling it quits before it even _begins_ and you all want to get upset with me?"

No one said anything after his rant; they didn't even look at me or him. I frowned in confusion, trying to figure out what the hell Carlisle was talking about.

I gasped suddenly and sat up abruptly, breathing heavily as the pain was suddenly gone like it was never there in the first place.

"It's gone?" Carlisle asked me, staring at me in concern.

I nodded. "It's gone like it was never there. If I hadn't of felt it, I wouldn't have believed it ever happened."

Carlisle nodded and backed up. "You've had a pretty stressful day. An extremely stressful day, so we'll leave and let you sleep or something, all right?"

I nodded my head and watched them all leave. I was tired, but I knew I wouldn't be sleeping.

I hadn't been sleeping well at all since Jasper left.

_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.  
You'll be all right; no one can hurt you now.  
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound._

My earphones fell out of my ears when I sat up suddenly, wide-eyed, shocked and in complete disbelief.

I didn't, as I knew, fall asleep. Instead, I lay on my bed, listening to music and staring at my clock. Hours had passed and it was now dark outside, but I finally understood just what that argument between Carlisle and the others were about.

I don't know why it took me so long to realize what Jasper and I were. All the signs were there, my emotions whenever I was around him or when he was gone… like now.

And the unexplainable heart pain? Carlisle said it was an emotional pain – the pain of when your mate has decided to leave you. I remember seeing Charlotte go through it after she and Peter got into a real big fight and he left for a few hours, absolutely furious.

"Why didn't he tell me?" All eyes turned me as I stormed into the living room, demanding answers. "If we're mates and he's hurting so damn bad, why the fuck did he not tell me?"

"He wanted you to have a choice. He wanted you to figure it out for yourself, but then you went and told him that kiss you two shared didn't matter," Rosalie answered, scowling at me.

I glared at her. "If Carlisle didn't talk to me today, I would have never figured it out and you all would have kept it from me and Jasper would never come home! I would have still had a choice had he told me, so keeping it a secret was beyond stupid!"

"Why are you yelling at us?" Peter asked.

"Because you all knew! You all knew and refused to tell me. Jasper ran away and y'all still didn't feel the need to tell me."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You're the reason he left, telling him you regretted the kiss and all…"

"He's one of my best friends, Rosalie. Forgive me if I don't want to ruin that, and forgive me for not wanting a relationship. I _do_ regret the kiss and it _was_ a mistake because all it would have done was led him on and I didn't want to do that." I sighed and backed away back to the door, prepared to go upstairs. Carlisle wasn't here to tell me the truth, and it was obvious they weren't going to say anything. "I know I hurt Jasper and I'm sorry. I'm going to make it up in my own way, but I will not be forced into a relationship with him just because he wants one and you think it is right, Rosalie."  
Rose sighed. "Bella…"

" He wanted me to have a choice, and I made it."


	25. Chapter 25: The Next Few Days, pt 2

A/N: I am officially back. Updates should now be more frequent, and this story shouldn't take too much longer now. I'm really excited to be getting started again and for the ending! It's a long time overdue.

NOTE: I went over the last few chapters as a refresher, and it's actually a bit cringe-worthy to me! LOl. Re-reading it, I felt I was trying _too_ hard in some places, so when this story is done, maybe even before then, I'm going to fix up the chapters a bit, re-edit and all that good stuff. I'll let you all know when I do that!

_Chapter 25: The Next Few Days, pt. 2 (Everything)_

* * *

**Day Eleven:**

No matter how hard they tried to get me to say something, I still wasn't talking to either of them.

I didn't know what to do, didn't know what to say. Maybe it wasn't fair that I was taking my anger out on them, but they could have said _something_. The could have hinted at why I felt so close to him instead of leaving me completely in the dark, especially after Jasper left.

Jasper.

I couldn't even think his name anymore without getting upset—furious. Sometime after figuring out what we were, I decided that I wasn't going to be blame for why he left any longer.

So what if I _did_ regret the kiss. So what if I _did_ call it a mistake. That's exactly what it was, and he knew it. I wasn't ready for a relationship, and I was sure Jasper knew that, too. It was the moment that was a mistake, the time, not the kiss itself. Had Jasper stuck around, maybe I would have been able to tell him that. Maybe I would have even apologized for saying it meant nothing when I knew, in reality, it meant _everything_.

"Can we talk? Please?" Charlotte asked, sticking her head in my room to look at me.

I hadn't left my room in what felt like ages, choosing only to come out for the bathroom and when I needed to eat. I wanted to be left alone to think, and I wanted to be left alone in general. Between Jasper leaving, the nightmares, running in to James, Alice and Edward, I'd felt like I'd lost myself. I didn't know who I was anymore.

I sat up from my bed and shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

If she was surprised by suddenly being okay with speaking with her, she didn't show it as she came to sit next to me. "Thanks."

I shrugged again. "I couldn't not talk to you forever. You are my mother."

Honestly, I was surprised she let me get away with not talking to her of all people for as long as I did.

She laughed. "That's true. Honestly, if you'd have said no, I would have came in and we would have talked either way."

I cracked a smile. I believed her. "So, what's up?

"'What's up?'" she repeated, scowling at me for a minute. "Let's skip the rest of this small talk and beating around the bush and get to the point: how are you feeling?"

I answered, "Like shit."

It wasn't the answer she was hoping for, but she'd been expecting it.

"Okay." Charlotte nodded. "That's understandable. You've been going through a lot these last two weeks." I nodded in agreement. "So, then, talk to me, sweet pea. Tell me what all is on your mind. Let me be your _mom_ again, Bella, and not just some woman that withheld something important to you."

Her words shocked and hurt me all at once. Shocked because I didn't know she felt that way, and hurt because I didn't know she felt that way. Thinking about it, I knew why she felt that way.

Sometime between all my being angry and hurt, I'd forgotten my place as a child—her child, her daughter.

As I thought about it, I really saw what she meant. I talked to them casually and as unattached as possible, using first names only—nicknames being something I only saw proper to use when you were close to someone—and in all that time, it didn't occur to me until that moment that I'd been going around calling her Charlotte.

I didn't even think I addressed Peter at all.

"Oh, mom"-my voice cracked-"I'm so, so sorry. I hadn't realized I'd made you feel that way. It was never my intention. I never…"

She raised a hand to silence me and shook her head, giving me a smile. "I know that. Trust me, I _know_ that. I won't lie and say the way you've been acting toward me didn't hurt, but I've gotten over it, sugar. I've moved on. It's no good holding grudges," she explained.

Charlotte had barely been able to get out the last of her sentence before I threw myself at her, hugging her as tightly as possible, her doing the same.

"I'm sorry," I said, and that was all it took.

Everything I'd been feeling hit me like a fright train, and I started crying.

I started crying, and I couldn't stop. I wasn't only crying for the things that had happened recently, I realized; I was crying for _everything_—everything that had ever happened to me.

When I'd gotten older, especially after James, I'd seemed to hit a brick wall when it came to my emotions. I didn't hurt anymore. I didn't cry; I didn't care. I was numb. I honestly couldn't _feel_ anymore, and that scared my parents. It scared me. I couldn't go to counseling, though. I didn't want to be told by some random stranger that I was broken, so I turned to cutting. I'd cut myself repeatedly to feel something, even if it was pain, and I liked it. I loved it. It was my release. It was dangerous and unhealthy, but it was the only way. I didn't know how else to _not_ be numb.

Until Forks. Until this very _second_, I wasn't able to properly release.

I wasn't able to let it go.

I cried harder.

"It's all going to be okay, baby girl, I promise," Charlotte murmured, scooping me up in to her arms and sitting me in her lap, rocking me as I cried. "Just do what you have to do to feel better," she whispered.

And I did; I let go.

**Day Thirteen: **

Charlotte and I stayed holed up in my room for the next two days after I broke down. In those two days, I cried, I slept, and I cried some more. Slowly but surely, I began to completely unravel. It was a good unraveling, though. I was finally able to speak freely about everything. So, we talked for hours, and then I slept a little more, cried again, and on the cycle went for another day.

In that time, I'd managed to find closure. Finally getting everything off my chest allowed me to do so—allowed me to let go.

I was able to forgive Jasper for leaving. I didn't like that he had left, but I understood why he did, and so I forgave him.

The pain in my chest was still there, but it was lighter than it had been.

I was able to forgive Alice. What she'd done and said to me wasn't okay, but I understood; jealousy was a nasty thing.

I was able to forgive the others, too. What they did I understood the most. Really thinking it over, I _would_ have been upset had they'd told me Jasper and I were mates instead of Jasper telling me himself. I did like it better that I, with a little help from Carlisle, figured it out for myself.

I just wished Jasper had told me himself, which would have saved us all this drama.

Most importantly, I forgave James and Leroy. That one was the hardest, but it had to be done. I didn't understand why they did it, but I forgave them.

I couldn't go around for the rest of my life afraid, constantly looking over my shoulder. I could, but I didn't want to. They'd had me for far too long already, I wasn't going to continue to let them have me. I wasn't going to let them continue to win. I wasn't going to continue to let them control my life.

No: I was going to forgive, let go, and move on. I deserved to.

I don't think I had ever seen Charlotte so proud of me then when I'd told her all that.

The pain in my chest from losing Jasper was still there, I didn't think it would ever go away, but my heart was lighter.

I smiled. "I feel…good."

"And I'm so happy to hear that," Charlotte replied, laughing. "So very happy, sugar, you have no idea."

I shook my head. I had an idea. "And I feel…like myself. I feel like the person I was always supposed to be, you know? The person I was going to be if my parents hadn't have died, and I hadn't have met James."

"Yeah," Mom mumbled, nodding and averting her eyes.

I sat up and smiled again, taking her hand. I wasn't the only that needed to move on.

Anytime something went wrong for me, she'd blame herself, believing none of this would have happened my parents still been here, had she not have insisted that they keep me, but I didn't believe that. We didn't know what would have happened. The thing from my dreams would have most likely killed me!

After James, she hadn't been the same. The guilt, no matter what Peter and I did to try and ease it, never left. It just ate at her, and I didn't like that—none of us did.

"I wouldn't have gotten to this point _without_ you, _Mom_," I told her seriously, squeezing her hand. "Thank you."

The smile that came after those words was blinding, and she pulled me in for a hug. "I love you so much, Bella."

"I love you, too," I returned, meaning it more than ever.

After we broke a part, we laughed and laughed for what felt like hours. The past two days had been so emotional that we couldn't help _but_ to laugh. It was all so…freeing.

"Are you ready to go downstairs to see the others?" she asked me after a while, sitting up.

I sat up, too, and stared at her. I'd forgotten about them. "Have they been here the whole time?" I asked, alarmed. I'd forgotten all about not having any privacy in a house full of vampires.

Charlotte shook her head, smiling. "No. Peter kicked them all out after you said we could talk."

I sighed. Of course he had. He knew me better than anyone else. Even without his "gift," he would have known this was coming. He would have known I wouldn't want anyone here to witness it.

"All right," I said, standing up. "Let's go, then."

Charlotte grinned and stood up, too, heading for the door. Before she could get there, though, I grabbed her hand, and she let me pull her in for one more hug.

"This wouldn't have been possible without you. I love you so much," I whispered in her ear, so low that I knew the vampires downstairs wouldn't be able to hear. It was just for her. "No one will ever be as lucky as me to have a mother as you."

Her breath hitched, and she squeezed me just a little tighter. "Thank you."

I nodded, and we left without another word uttered, nothing else needing to be said. As we descended down the stairs, Peter came to standing in front of them, donning a nervous, apologetic smile.

I grinned and rushed down last of the stairs, jumping for him. He caught me and held me to him tightly, and I did the same, holding on to him as firmly as I possibly could. "I love you, too," I said.

"And I love you," was his response.

We stayed that way for a few minutes, Charlotte walking past us in to the living room to give us a moment, before he set me down.

"So, we're good?" he asked.

I smirked. "We're great."

"Cool."

We bumped fists, and he gently threw his arm around my shoulders as we strolled in to the living together, coming face-to-face with the others, who were all sitting on the couch. All of them there save for Alice and Edward, which I was thankful for.

I may have been feeling better about them, but I still didn't want to see them.

"You can all relax," I said with a chuckle, having never seen them so stiff. "I'm not going to chew your heads off, I'm not going to get upset. I'm actually happy to see you all."

"Really?" Rosalie asked, obviously surprised.

I laughed and nodded. "Really. I've been doing a lot of thinking these past two days, and I get it. Finding out that I was Jasper's mate was something I needed to do on my own or something that he needed to tell me himself, so I'm not upset with any of you anymore," I explained.

"That was all he really wanted, Bella," Rosalie said. "He wanted you to figure it out, come to terms with it, and then have a choice in the matter. He didn't want you to feel obligated to be with him."

I rolled my eyes. "In trying to give me a choice, he hurt me. He took away my choice by leaving, but I'm over it. I've forgiven him, and I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"And you don't have to," Emmett chimed in when it became clear that Rosalie wasn't going to let me move on.

"Can you stop being this way?" I finally snapped, cutting off whatever Esme was going to say. "I get that Jasper is your brother and you want him to be happy, but what about me? You've completely forgotten about my feelings, our friendship, and me by pushing Jasper on me! You're all about us getting together that I'm starting not to like you all over again."

She looked surprised by my outburst. "I'm just…"

"You're speaking for him," I said. "And the last time I checked, Jasper could speak for himself, but he's not here. If something needs to be said to me about him, he can say it himself. Until then, get off his dick, Rose, and be _my_ friend—_my_ sister—because I'm _here_."

The room was silent after my little speech, save for Emmett and Peter's chuckles every now and then that had been slipping from them every since I'd told her to "get off his dick."

"Okay," Rose said after a while, nodding. "I'm sorry. I only want the best for both of you."

I smiled. "I know, but I'm ready to move on from that."

"Okay," she repeated, and I nodded.

We would be just fine.

"Now that that's settled," Esme said, standing up from the couch. "Bella, I've missed you!"

She was in front of me suddenly, and she pulled me in for a hug. I laughed and hugged back, having missed her, too. "Going a whole week without speaking to you is tough, Es. Charlotte's cooking hasn't improved one bit."

"Hey!" Char complained, causing us all to chuckle.

Esme pulled away from me with a grin. "How about I make you lunch?"

I was going to say no, but then my stomach growled embarrassingly loud, and I had no choice but to consent. "That'd be great."

"Carlisle, as unfair as this may be, I was never upset with you," I told him, taking a seat beside him. "You're the only one who really wanted to tell me."

Carlisle smiled. "I told you I was her favorite," he yelled out.

That confused me for a minute before Esme yelled back, "Get real!"

I laughed and hugged Carlisle before getting pulled in to a game with Emmett, who brought over his Wii.

"No one else will play with me," he'd said.

The look on his face was that of a helpless child and a sad puppy, so I couldn't find it in myself to say no.

* * *

Eventually, we each found ourselves sucked in to one game or another, playing for hours.

The atmosphere was light and happy. Music was blaring from the speakers, good food was served—for me at least—and the conversations were never dull. We'd made ourselves a little part, and I loved it. I only wished Jasper was there.

After they all finally left and the house was cleaned up, Charlotte, Peter, and I sat in front of the TV for the rest of the night, content to just be in each other's company.

**Day Fourteen:**

Of course, the good feelings didn't last long. When things are _that_ good, there's never a long wait for the other shoe to drop.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that washed over me the next morning, and it only got worse when I got downstairs.

"You two need to eat," I said, tracing the dark circle under Peter's pitch black eye.

He shook his head. "We're fine."

"Mom." I turned to face her, her eyes as black as his. "Tell him you two aren't 'fine.' Will you tell him you both need to go hunt?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I've already done that, sugar, but you know how your daddy gets when he's against something."

"How could you be against feeding?" I asked him in disbelief, wondering if he had finally lost his mind. "Are you tryin' to kill yourself or somethin'?"

Peter rolled his eyes next. "No, I'm not tryin' to kill myself or nothin' like that, doll. Calm yo' nerves."

"Then what in the hell is it?" I demanded. "You know I don't like making y'all uncomfortable."

"You're not," he assured me, but the way he'd been swallowing hard ever since I walked in the kitchen told me otherwise.

"I am. I know you have all the control of a saint, daddy, but you're pushin' it, and I don't like that," I told him. "What's the big deal that you feel you can't go?"

He hesitated a moment before mumbling, "I don't know."

"Come again?" Charlotte and I asked him at once.

"I don't know," he gritted out.

Charlotte growled. "You're refusing to eat, and you don't even know why? Tell me, _darlin'_, what kind of sense does that make?"

"He ain't too smart, mama, so of course it don't make no sense," I drawled out lazily.

As we talked, it began to occur to me that our accents were suddenly back, thick as molasses. I couldn't help but use that moment to bring it out full force.

I got my desired effect. Charlotte stopped short with whatever she was about to say next, and Peter laughed, rolling his eyes at me.

"Girl," he said before laughing again.

That good mood didn't last long, either.

"Babe," Char said, giving him a pointed look.

Peter nodded. "I know, sweets, I know." He opened and closed his mouth a few times before saying; "I just don't feel right leaving Bella all alone here."

"I'll call Rose to come pick me up, and I can just go back to her house," I suggested, nodding. "I don't really want to be alone right now, anyway."

I couldn't be, not with the way I was feeling today.

Charlotte nodded, coming over to Peter and wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder. "They'll keep her perfectly safe while we're gone, baby. And it's not like we're going to be gone for long."

Peter sighed, closed his eyes, and rested his chin lightly on top of her head, hugging her tightly, and I was worried.

He looked bad, and not just hungry. He looked stressed and unsure of himself, which was never the case with Peter. Something was off, and he didn't know what, and that had him worried. It had me scared.

Peter was never unsure about anything.

"You call her right now," he said, opening his eyes. The look he gave me was fierce. "And then you sit your ass on that couch, and you don't move 'til she gets here. You don't leave the Cullen house until your mother and I are back, do I make myself clear?"

I nodded immediately, eyes widening slightly at his sudden change in demeanor. "Yes, sir."

"Go get your shoes on, darlin'," he told Charlotte, kissing her once before letting her go. "Call," he said to me, throwing his cell phone to me.

I nodded. "Okay."

I called their home phone, and Rose picked up on the first ring. After assuring me that she'd be here as soon, we hung up the phone, and I looked back toward Dad.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"No." His face was an emotionless mask, but his eyes were hard, and I was starting to think that having him leave was a bad thing.

"Well, then, let's go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back," Char said when she came back in to the kitchen, taking Peter by the hand. "Bella, come on."

She pulled Peter out the kitchen, and I followed behind them in to the living room, sitting down on the couch before Peter could tell me to.

He looked me over for a minute before giving me one firm nod. "We shouldn't be gone too long," he said.

"Okay."

"I'm leaving my cell phone with you. Call Mom's phone if you need anything."

I nodded. "I will."

He didn't say anything more after that, just stood there staring at me for a while.

"The sooner we leave," Char repeated, tugging on his hand. "C'mon."

He nodded and after we all said our goodbyes, they were gone.

They were gone, and I was afraid of whatever would happen next.


	26. Chapter 26: Peter's Point

A|N: Another update tomorrow.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight, nor do I own anything dealing with the Twilight series. I'm only borrowing the characters and making them do what I want. **

_Chapter 26: Peter's Point_

* * *

"I don't like this," I said as we ran for Seattle, slowly falling behind Charlotte as the feeling of uncertainty grew.

It had been weeks since we last fed, so I knew we couldn't go another without doing so, but I still didn't want to leave. It wasn't sitting right with me, and that immediately put me on the defensive.

Char stopped running abruptly, and I ended up running past her before stopping as well. She threw her hands in to the air with a loud huff, clearly exasperated with me. "Do you want to go home, Peter? Do you want to munch on a deer or two this time? Would _that_ make you feel better?" she asked.

"Um…" I frowned in confusion.

Charlotte glared at me. "You have been acting weird all morning, you won't tell me why and I don't know what to do!" she yelled. "Not to mention that you managed to successfully _terrify_ Bella before we left. If something bad is going to happen, and we need to be home, tell me _now_ so we can leave."

She was livid, that much I knew before she even said anything.

For the past two weeks, everything had been perfectly _fine_. Aside from the drama that was unfolding at home, that is. There was nothing more on James and Edward and Alice weren't around anymore to start shit. Everything was _great_.

I didn't like that.

Nothing good ever came out of everything being great. I'd been waiting for that other shoe to drop everyday, but it never did.

I'd been waiting for Major to come back so we could make up a plan for when the shoe did drop so we could be prepared, but he never showed.

No. That dumb fuck decided that leaving was the best thing to do, and I foolishly didn't go stop him, now both he _and_ my kid were having fucking emotional breakdowns left and right and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

From there, things got even greater. After spending two days holed up in her room with her mother, Bella was better. She'd figured out some things and dealt with shit that needed to be better, and everything was great. To say I was happy and proud would be the biggest understatement of the century.

I was over the _fucking_ moon with joy.

After that, I knew the other shoe had dropped. Of _course_ it dropped right after things were starting to look up for Bella. It was only natural that it did because nothing good ever comes out of anything going _that_ great.

All that morning, I'd been on edge. _Something_ was happening, and it wasn't good, and I didn't know what it was. The "gift" that everyone seemed to think I had wasn't working, and I was _panicking_. I _never_ had to panic because I never went in to anything _blind_. Even when my "gift" stopped working, I always had some insight of what was going to happen. That was just who I _was_.

This time around, I was completely blind. I didn't have the slightest clue as to what was going on around me. I just knew it centered around us all—it centered around _Bella_.

I felt a little better knowing she was with the Cullen's, even if that did include that pixie-bitch and her mind-reading brother.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. You know how I get when I don't know what's going on around me."

"Is that what this is about?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in question. "Your gift isn't 'working' right now?"

I nodded.

"Why couldn't you just tell me that?"

"I didn't want you to worry?" I answered lamely, it coming out more as a question than anything.

Charlotte's eyes narrowed, and she was in front of me in seconds. "You didn't want me to worry? You didn't want me to _worry_?" she repeated in disbelief. "What do you think I've been doing all morning, Peter? My nails? Of _course_ I was worried! You've been acting like a fucking out of control lunatic all morning, pacing and growling and looking angry. No, forget about _me_ being worried. I don't think I've ever seen you look more worried in the whole time I've known you the way you were this morning."

I sighed. "I'm just feeling…off."

She nodded. "I believe you when you say your gift isn't cooperating with you at the moment, but I know you're withholding something from me, Peter. These past two weeks…. you haven't been you. Just tell me the truth, and I'll help you out the way I always do."

"Char…"

"Peter."

I sighed again and shook my head. "There isn't anything else. We can keep going for Seattle."

She eyed me for a second before taking off for a run without another word, obviously aware of the fact that I was lying.

I felt bad, but I didn't want to tell her anything until I had the all the fact.

With another sigh, I ran after her, keeping my distance to give her her space.

_**~HTH~**_

"Char, baby, you can't not talk to me for forever!" I complained, running in front of her.

She stopped so she wouldn't run in to me and glared. "Watch me."

She went to sidestep me, but I wouldn't let her.

"My 'gift' or whatever in the hell it is hasn't been working since the mutt attacked Bella," I finally admitted me. "It's the dogs. I haven't been the same since the dogs." Charlotte stopped trying to get away from me, then, and waited for me to go on, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've been going crazy ever since it happened, since we met them, and I don't know why! They're up to something, but I don't know what it is. And that Jacob kid? I'd feel more comfortable if he was dead."

"And you couldn't tell me this then?" she asked, glaring at me once again. "You Whitlock men are so fucking…I can't even with you two anymore! You're lying to me, and Jasper's being a dick to my daughter. I'm going to end up killing the both of you, I swear."

"I'm sorry."

She snapped, "You should be. " She rolled her eyes. "But you think the wolves are the reason for your gift acting up. Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. It just…"

I stopped talking abruptly, and my mouth snapped shut as I thought everything over. My gift acting up, Bella's nightmares, her vision, the wolf pack…

"We have to get home," I said, gently pushing at her until she started running.

"What's going on now?" she asked, confused.

I shook my head. "I don't know why I didn't catch this before. Why neither of us did. FUCK!" I yelled, growling.

"Now isn't the time to keep to yourself, Peter," Charlotte hissed.

"We've always said Bella's visions only come in her dreams," I started, and she nodded. "Her nightmares, the recent ones. They weren't just nightmares of that night."

Charlotte looked to be catching on. "Keep going."

"She saw herself being attacked," I explained. "By the wolf. She foresaw the fucking wolf attacking her, and I'd bet everything that she has seen the face of the person that killed her parents."

"Peter, what else?" she asked.

It all made sense to me now. The missing pieces to the puzzle were put in place, and I could almost feel my heart shattering as I realized I was too late.

"Goddammit, Peter, if you don't tell what all is going through your head."

I looked at her, eyes wide.

We were too late. I could feel it, and I was starting to see that she could, too.

"Peter! What the hell is going on?" she yelled.

"Call Carlisle. Now."

I could see she wanted to say more, but she thought better of it and called Carlisle, and we sped our running, needing to get home.

Carlisle answered on the first ring. Before Charlotte could say anything, I chocked out, "It's Edward."

"…I know."

Charlotte stopped running, and I stopped to turn back to face, finding her wide-eyed in shock.

"What?" she said, and I could see it all finally starting to sink in.

I shook my head as we didn't have time for this and grabbed her hand, forcing her to run with me. "It was always Edward. It was him this whole Goddamn time, and we didn't even know it. It was him then, and it's him now."

Only this time, he had a russet colored wolf on his side.


	27. Chapter 27: This Ain't Kansas Anymore

**Third Person POV—Jasper**

A|N: The reviews that were left were all "out of this world, I don't even know why I got them" amazing! Honestly, I'm so happy, thrilled and over the moon with them! Y'all are wonderful, wonderful. And to the people that favorited/followed: y'all are _just as_ amazing, too.

_Chapter 27: This ain't Kansas anymore_

* * *

Within two days, Jasper found himself in Canada, what part of it he wasn't sure. To him, in his current state of mind, it was just Canada. He would have gotten there sooner, but he made a countless number of detours on the way.

His emotions were out of whack. He couldn't control himself, could hardly control what he did, as he wasn't fully aware of what was going on around him, even when he'd calmed down some. He was just doing anything and everything he could in his power to make the ache in his chest go away— not only emotional, but the physical pain as well.

However, nothing he did worked. It wasn't something that he could just make go away, and that frustrated him.

His state of mind was evident in the way he fed.

Out of anger, he ate as many baby deer as he could stand, bitterly loving the fact that they all resembled Bambi.

Out of spite, he fucked and then drained a pretty woman that looked just like _her_. After that, he did twice more.

Out of shame and heartache, he refused to eat for an entire week, though the time was lost on him. It didn't matter much anymore.

Starving himself became a routine over time. After coming across the scent of hikers in the woods when he first began to stop feeding properly, he couldn't control himself, so he ate them. All of them—there were five total.

His guilt from that was big. He never had a problem with feeding on humans, he knew it was the way for Vampires, but their emotions always got to him. _That_ was why he stopped feeding from them. He didn't like feeling what they felt; he couldn't deal with it anymore since leaving Maria's camp.

The feelings from those hunts couldn't compare to the ones he was feeling then.

It wasn't just guilt he was dealing with. It was guilt _and_ shame _and_ humiliation. And he was so lonely. _God_, was _so_ he lonely.

He didn't know how he could go home now.

She'd already made herself clear on how she "felt" toward him.

Despite what others may have said of him after the stunt he'd just pulled, Jasper _wasn't_ stupid. He knew she was lying, he didn't have to be an Empath to know that, but it still hit him hard, the way she'd said their kiss didn't matter, the way she practically rejected him. It was why he left.

But now he was positive it was how she would feel when he returned home. Not only had he left her, but he'd gone out and he used women that looked like her, he fed from five people in his greatest moment of weakness.

He couldn't see how she'd ever want him.

So, he stopped eating again until the scent of human crossed his path again. This pattern lasted for an undisclosed amount of time.

_**~HTH~**_

Currently, Jasper was wandering alongside a river. His mind was back, though he didn't know the day, the time or how long he'd been gone. He just knew he could control himself now. With control came time to think of what he'd done.

With control came the full intensity of the pain in his chest, which had been easy to ignore for the most part—now it w as impossible to ignore, especially since his every thought was Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella.

"_Obviously that kiss meant nothing,"_ she had said to him, with the utmost seriousness._ "Nothing whatsoever, we were both just caught up in the moment and that's that, right? I don't see why we need to talk about a mistake."_

To say he was confused would be an understatement. How she could just lie to him that way…

Thinking about it for a moment, though, with as clear a mind as he was going to get any time soon, he could understand how it was a mistake in that _moment_. He could understand how he shouldn't have done it _then_, but for her to say it meant _nothing_ just completely blew his mind.

That kiss meant _everything_, and he knew it wasn't just him that felt that way. They were _mates_. How could she so blatantly reject him?

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" he bellowed out in frustration, his growls striking fear in the animals nearby, his yell sending dozens of birds flying.

Jasper dropped to his knees then and let out the most heart wrenching of cries, sobbing for the first time in a hundred-odd years. He cried, and he cried hard and for a long time. He'd never felt so…broken, for lack of a better word, in all his life.

He was so lost that he wasn't even fazed by the fact that he was breaking down. He wouldn't have cared, then, if someone saw him, Major Whitlock, the most feared vampire on earth, crying. In fact, he wished real tears would fall!

Everything seemed to be going wrong for him, and he couldn't even cry it out properly!

* * *

It took him two sunsets to stop crying and one sunrise to finally get up from the ground. Sometime between his last sob to his standing up, he was decided; he was an all new man.

He stood straighter, held his head up higher and decided that enough was enough. Sitting around, crying and doing nothing was going to get him nowhere fast. He wanted—fucking _needed_—his mate, and he was going to get her, even if he had to spend eternity apologizing and begging for forgiveness.

She'd hurt him, unintentionally, he knew, and he realized his leaving was the _worst_ thing he could have done.

With all this in mind, he wasted no time in heading home. After a quick hunt that would last him until he got back to Washington, he began running. His feet got him where he needed to go as quickly as they could, moving faster than they ever had before.

The closer he got, the more determined he became, the less his chest hurt. That motivated him further to get home.

The pain was unbearable, and he didn't want to feel it any longer than he had to. He didn't want _Bella_ to feel it any longer than she had to.

* * *

He was close.

He was so incredibly close that the pain in his chest was barely noticeable anymore, and the hope he hadn't been feeling when he first left was now there in his heart, and he was confident this would all go well.

All that was on his mind was getting home to see Bella's face for the first time in Lord only knew how long, until he suddenly found himself face first in the mud, the wind having been knocked out of him.

The excruciating pain that was rapidly enveloping him couldn't possibly ever be described with words. And, since becoming a vampire, he had never needed to breathe, but it came so naturally to him even in his state of non-living that he began to panic when he couldn't breathe anymore. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't inhale deep enough, and he felt as if he was truly suffocating.

The scream that left him was deafening, and the forest went completely silent.

_Bella._

_Bella. _

_Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella._

That was the _only_ thing going through his head as all this happened.

Something was wrong.

With great effort, Jasper managed to stand up, the pain almost sending him back to the ground. It took time, but he finally managed to it together, to ignore the pain enough to function.

His breathing was heavy and ragged and his face was a cold, emotionless mask, but his eyes held everything his face wouldn't show.

Left and right animals of the forest fell, all paralyzed with fear and dying under the emotions that were Jasper's, suffocating under them, as he let loose his gift.

He wanted everything and everyone in his sight on their knees when he got home, ready to submit.

Someone had some explaining to do.

_**~HTH~**_

The man that ran home was without a doubt no longer human. The man that ran home couldn't even be classified as a vampire.

He was an enraged beast, a monster—a demon.

He was the most feared thing to ever walk the planet he lived on, though most of the population on it would, thankfully, never know it.

He was the Major, the God of war, and he was out for blood.

_**~HTH~**_

"Where is she?" he asked, low, threatening growls rumbling from his chest.


	28. Chapter 28: And The Truth

A|N: This chapter was _so_ hard to write. The words just weren't coming to me like with the last chapter. As always, the reviews were perfecto.

**Note: This was a rush upload, so I'm sorry for any mistakes. I'll fix them when I can! :) **

_Chapter 28: And the truth…_

* * *

It felt like I'd been sitting on that couch for hours, but in reality, it had only been thirty minutes. I thought that what made it seem so long was because of the way Peter had been acting before they left, like something bad was going to happen. Not only in just the way he'd been acting, though—in the way he looked, the way his eyes clouded over slightly when he looked at me. I wanted to say scared, but I didn't think that was the right word. He was nervous—nervous and worried, though worried for what he didn't know. Peter never felt these things. Ever.

_His gift isn't working_, I thought, my eyes widening as I came to this realization.

Peter's gift wasn't working. Or it was, just not in the way he wanted it to.

His gift wasn't giving him the when, why or who.

"Oh, God," I choked out.

If I wasn't concerned before, I definitely was then. My concern only grew when Rosalie didn't answer her phone, though I'd called her three times.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale," I hissed on my fourth call. "Please pick up the fucking phone. I need to know everything's okay over there. I need you to come get me because…I'm scared," I admitted in a whisper before hanging up.

My breathing was getting heavy, and my heart was beating much too fast for my comfort, so I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes, trying my hardest to relax.

I wished I hadn't insisted on them going. I wished, just this once, they would've chosen the vegetarian lifestyle.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, hopping up from the couch. I began to pace, then, finding that was calming me down much faster than sitting down was.

_It's not like staying on the couch would protect me if something bad were to happen,_ I thought, becoming bitterer as time passed on.

.

.

.

Eventually, I finally got myself together. I took a few deep breaths and then laid on the couch, turning my music on low and put my earphones in. Panicking would solve nothing, so I resolved to just sit and wait patiently for Rosalie even though she still hadn't answered my calls.

Besides, Peter would never have been okay with leaving if he thought something bad was going to happen.

But then self-doubt began to creep into my mind. I knew they loved me, but how _much_ did they love me? Surely not enough to stick around if their lives—their existence, really—were possibly in danger.

I squeezed my eyes closed tightly and turned the music up louder. I didn't like where my thoughts were headed.

Of course they wouldn't leave me.

I didn't want to think about it anymore, though. Any of it. Instead, as I allowed the lyrics to my music take over my thoughts, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

.

.

.

_I felt like I'd been running for days. My lungs, my legs, my feet—my __**everything**__ hurt. My throat was terribly sore from both the cold air I was breathing in and all the screaming I'd been doing._

_He was chasing me again, and I knew my running was futile. I was fast, but he was faster. I would hide, but he always found. I would stay quiet, but he could always hear._

_It didn't help that he had an accomplice with him this time, especially since the thing helping him was some kind of four-legged monster._

_I spared a glance behind me as I ran, seeing them both still chasing me, faces blurred. _

"_Bella, my sweet little girl, your running is useless! Also completely unnecessary," the now familiar voice of the man—the man who was clearly not human—called out to me, a low, vicious chuckle leaving him. "I am not going to hurt you! I'm just going to love you!"_

_I pleaded, "Just leave me alone!"_

_I turned my head back to face the front, and a gasp of surprise escaped me as I suddenly found myself crashing into his chest. _

"_But why, love, would I do that?" he asked, a twisted smirk taking over his blurred face as he bent down to look me in the eye. "And surely you don't mean it. Why would you deny me the pleasure of being with you, Bella? How could you deny your old pal Edward?"_

_Abruptly, his blurred face was cleared, and his true identity was finally revealed to me after years of tormenting me. _

_I didn't have time to process what he'd said as his beast caught up to us, then, deep, threatening growl animating from his chest. _

"_I-I…"_

_The wolf and Edward lunged at me at once, and I let out a blood-curling scream. _

.

.

.

I woke up to the sound of my own screaming, completely drenched in sweat. I sat up quickly with a start, my chest heaving rapidly as I panted heavily. Tears pooled into my eyes and blurred my vision until they finally fell, and I found myself shaking my head.

I was in denial. I didn't want to believe that I'd dreamed was real. It couldn't have been.

_I didn't even know Edward back then. He didn't know me, so how he could be the one I've been dreaming about this whole time…_

I shook my head again. I was just jumping to conclusions. Edward was an asshole. He was creepy and always looked at me weird, and I was just putting his face in my dream.

_But that wolf looked so familiar…_

"It wasn't _real_, Bella," I snapped angrily at myself.

I wouldn't believe that because there was no way I was living around the man that had killed my parents for this long without figuring it out.

_God, but what if it was? If he's the one that killed my parents…_

A harsh pounding on the front door snatched me out of my thoughts, and I jumped up in surprise, heart hammering in fear.

"I know you're in there, Isabella, open up!" a deep, scruffy voice I recognized immediately as Jacob's yelled, still beating roughly at the door. "Open the door or I swear to God I'll break it down." When I didn't open the door, he snapped, "Listen, you little bitch, if you don't open this door, the minute I get my hands on you…"

He continued to yell profanities and threats at me, but I still didn't move. I couldn't. I was paralyzed with terror. My heart was still hammering, the blood was rushing to my ears, my breathing was ragged and I was starting to feel dizzy.

_Now is not the time to have a panic attack, Bella. We have to get out of here!_

I was on the verge of a panic attack and talking to myself in the middle of being threatened by half-man, half-wolf creature. What was wrong with me?

"Y-you need to leave!" I finally managed to get out. It wasn't very loud, but I was under the impression that he had extreme hearing abilities, too. "I-I have a family who will protect me. They're on their way _right_ now."

I was proved right when I heard his loud bark of laughter and cynical reply, "Yeah, I'll leave right now." He laughed again, dark and sinister. "I don't want your protectors to find me here!"

And in that moment, the terror I was feeling, though still lingering around and not going anywhere until I was safe, was pushed aside. His mocking tone was pissing me off. My being unable to fully protect myself was pissing me off. The _terror_ I was feeling pissed me off.

I didn't like being the weak, fragile girl that I was.

I didn't like people thinking—knowing—they could easily take advantage of me—hurt me.

"They won't just kill you, you know," I called out to him, thinking as clearly as I possibly could in a situation like this. "They'll hang you by your feet, skin you alive, and _then_ put you to rest like the rat you are."

That was probably a stupid thing to say, but I didn't care. My adrenaline was pumping, and I was stuck in the middle of my "Fight or Flight" meter. I would try to get away, but if I couldn't, I would put up one _hell_ of a fight.

"You're going to regret saying that," Jacob replied. Seconds later, I could hear the crashing into the wall, and I assumed he'd gone ahead with his threat to break my door down.

I froze for a moment in panic before quickly springing into action, snatching Peter's phone from off the couch. I ran toward the kitchen after that, hoping I could get out the back door to somehow buy me some time. As I was running for it, I was able to get to Carlisle's number.

Entering the kitchen, I came to a stop, the phone slowly falling from my hand.

"Hello, Bella," said Edward, leaning against the door that I'd wanted to leave out of, casually folding his arms across his chest.

I stuttered, "Edward."

As fast as my sudden burst of courage came, it was gone, and I was frozen in place even as he took a few steps closer to me.

"Your heart is beating so fast, love. It's worrying me. Please calm down," he murmured, smiling.

He moved a little closer to me, and this time I took a step back.

"I-it was you this whole time…it was you this whole fucking time!" I snapped, taking another step back when he stepped forward again. "You killed my parents!"

He grinned. "I'm so glad you've finally figured it out! I was really sad to see you didn't remember me, love."

I went to something, but I was grabbed from behind just, and my screams cut off what it was I was going to say.

"Didn't I say you'd regret it?" Jacob whispered questionably in my ear.

"Jacob," Edward hissed, looking utterly exasperated. "We've talking about this."

I could feel Jacob's body starting to vibrate, then, as he growled back, "_You_ have talked about this. _I_ haven't been able to get a word in."

Before Edward could get anything else out, Jacob's hand was suddenly around my neck, squeezing as tightly as he could without killing me—squeezing so tightly that my gasp got caught in my throat, and I could no longer get out anything intelligible.

"Jacob," Edward repeated, it being a warning this time.

My head was starting to hurt from the lack of oxygen I was getting, and I was starting to see double as he tightened his grip more.

"P-please," I tried to get out, desperate now as I could feel my life slipping away.

They ignored me, staring only at each other, then, so I began to thrash about violently, hoping to no avail that it would do _something_. All it did was successfully drain my life away that much quicker.

"What do you want, Jake?" Edward asked quietly.

The shaking in his body stopped the minute Edward spoke again, and his hand loosened on my neck immediately. I took multiple deep breaths, _bitterly_ grateful that he let go, and coughed a few times. Almost immediately, I began to struggle again. I wasn't going to make this _easy_ for them.

"I want to be a part of tonight," he answered. "_Every_ part of it," he stressed, slipping a hand between my closed thighs roughly, leaving one arm wrapped around my waist tightly to keep it place. "You owe me that much, you know."

I froze.

Edward sighed. "Jake…"

His hand slid up higher just a bit, and I whimpered.

"No. No, no, no, no, no," I cried, shaking my head.

I was getting dizzy. I couldn't breathe anymore as the implications of Jacob's words all finally caught up to me.

It was happening again, only this time I wasn't stressed.

_Oh, God. No, no, no, no, no, _was the only thing I could think in that moment.

I was starting to see spots, and my blood was rushing in my ears, but I still managed to catch Edward's smile and hear Jacob's chuckle.

"I promise, Bella, it'll all be worth it in the end," Edward mumbled.

That was the last thing I heard before promptly blacking out.


	29. Chapter 29: Shall Set You Free

**Highway to Hell**

A|N: I think this may be my favorite chapter, yet. There's one particular part that I love the most, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sorry for everyone who got the alert that I uploaded this before. It was a mistake!

**Note**: This chapter is _really_ long (over 4k words, long). I would honestly hate for you all to skip over this one just because I feel like it's my best yet. If you found this too long for you to want to read, let me know, and I'll break up the chapter next time.

_Chapter 29: …Shall set you free_

* * *

Confusion was the first thing I felt when I awoke, not knowing where I was, with terror immediately following. Most of the night's events played back in my head, and I started to panic, trying to get out of wherever in the hell I was, but I couldn't because my wrists were tied to a bed's post. As if that wasn't bad enough, the room I was in was pitch black, so I couldn't see a thing. My mouth was taped, too, so I couldn't scream. Really, I _could_ have, but I knew it wouldn't have done me any good. Even if we were around civilization, which I highly doubted, no one would be able to hear my muffled screams.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I didn't try to stop them from falling. What else was there to do? Nothing. There was absolutely _nothing_ else that I could do to help myself or make this situation more bearable. I'd never felt so helpless in my life, and all I wanted in that moment was my parents to find me and then hold me and never let go.

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_._

_._

"_Lost time is never found again" –Benjamin Franklin._

Time. It was always something I took for granted. I never really thought about it, didn't care how much of it I wasted. Why? Because it was something manmade. If no one ever thought of it, we'd all be okay. We wouldn't needlessly worry about things that needed not to be worried about it. We certainly wouldn't fret over the end of the world or wonder when it would be "our time" to die. We would be free; the question "what time is it?" would never be asked. But because it was made, we _did_ ask those things, and I never realized just how heavily I depended on it until the moment I realized I wouldn't be getting out of here _any_time soon.

I hated not knowing what time it w as, not knowing how long I had been gone, not knowing what time it was that I had been taken. I hated not knowing how many hours had passed since I'd woken up in the dark, started crying and then didn't stop.

I absolutely _hated_ it.

What bothered me the most, though, was that I hadn't seen Edward or Jacob yet.

I supposed it shouldn't have bothered me. I should have been _happy_ even that I hadn't seen them yet, but I couldn't help it. Not seeing them, not being able to watch them, made me uneasy. Knowing they were just walking around, whether it was below me or above, was extremely unnerving.

No, what really bothered me was that I was there in the first place.

I just wanted to go home.

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_._

Eventually, I stopped crying. I didn't want to do it anymore. It wasn't making the situation any easier on me, so what was the point?

Eventually, I just stopped feeling altogether. In all honesty, I just didn't care anymore. I was indifferent—numb.

The footsteps I could hear outside the room didn't even stir up emotions in me. I was _done_, resigned to whatever would come my way.

"I've had it up to fucking _here_ with you, Jacob!" I heard Edward yell. They'd stopped right in front of the door.

Jacob either didn't respond verbally or he just spoke too quietly for me to hear, but I knew he'd said something when Edward's growl resonated around the room.

"I care about you _both_, but if you make me choose, you _won't_ like my choice," Edward said.

There was silence at first, and then unintelligible mumbling next.

"Fine," Jacob muttered after a while.

Moments later, the door to the room I was staying in was being opened, albeit slowly, and I saw light for the first time since I'd been there. They just stood there in the doorway, not saying a word, and I started to feel a little uneasy again. I could make out their silhouettes the dark, but they could easily see all of me. The dark affected them in no way.

My legs had been, thankfully, left untied, which brought me slight comfort under their gazes as I pulled them up to my chest, having been placed in an upright position on the bed.

At last, Edward spoke. "I'd turn the lights on for you, Bella, but I don't want you to know where you are just yet."

I could feel his eyes boring into mine, so I looked away, first at Jacob, and then down at the floor where the light just barely hit.

"As soon as the light comes on, you'll know where you're at, and I want to talk to you before that happens," he explained. "I'm going to come to you know, so don't be frightened."

Before I had time to react to his words, he was gone from my sight, and the bed was dipping under his weight. At the same time, Jacob closed the door back, so I could no longer make out his form, either.

I stiffened.

"I don't want to hurt you," he murmured. He brushed his fingertips along my cheek lightly, and I sucked in a breath, definitely feeling scared, then. "I'm being honest with you, love. I just want to love you." He traced the outline of my lips through the masking tape, and I turned my head away from him. "You may speak when I give you permission, never before. You will look me in the eye when I speak to you, and you will not turn away from me when I am in your view. It's time for you to learn some manners, Mrs. Masen. If you can't…well, Jacob's been itching to have a go."

I didn't have time to react to his words before he was tearing the tape off my lips roughly. I gasped, and my eyes stung with tears from the pain.

"I could have done that a little softer. I apologize," Edward said. I didn't acknowledge that he'd said something, but I glared at the unseen wall, never turning my head back to him. He grabbed hold of my chin gently and pulled it back to the right to look him in the eye, I assumed. "What did I say?"

I didn't answer, and he huffed in annoyance.

_They're your rules, pal, not mine, _I thought.

"You may speak."

I waited until he released my chin to say, "You said look you in the eye when you speak to me, but I don't see how that's possible when I can't even see you, or did you not think that through?"

"You're quite sassy, Mrs. Masen. I liked that," he said, surprising me when he chuckled. "You've always been like that, even when you were little. It's one of the reasons why I liked you so much. You are free to speak your mind from here on out until I leave."

I would have loved to give him a piece of mine, but I decided against it. His behavior was so unpredictable. Any one thing could set him off at any given moment. I decided the safest thing to do was to follow his lead.

I asked, "One, why do you keep calling me 'Mrs. Masen?' Two, why are you doing this? If you like me so much, why would you do this?"

"Because I love you, Bella. I'm doing all of this because _I love you_," he stressed. "And Masen was my last name before Carlisle changed me.'"

I shook my head. "You don't love me, and you never have. And we aren't married, so stop calling me that! I don't like it."

"Oh, Isabella." He chuckled again, ran his fingers through my hair, and sighed. "We've been married a long time. We were married a week after I laid eyes on you for the first time. I have the paperwork to prove it, if you'd like to see it."

I was sure my heart had stopped for a few seconds as I thought over his words in my head. "I'm sorry, but I…"

"Don't talk anymore," Edward said. "I'll talk, you'll listen, and then whatever else you need explained, I'll make sure I do that."

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_He had been watching the Swan family for a long time now—twelve months to be exact. He'd seen the couple one day while he was taking a stroll around the park. They were laughing and chasing each other around with water balloons—he assumed they were with kids' party that was there that day—having a grand time. They were young and in love._

_After that day, he just kept going back, though he didn't know why. Their blood didn't appeal to him anymore than any other person's did; they weren't anything out of the ordinary. He was just…drawn to them. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he couldn't read their minds, he didn't know. It trouble him immensely, the connection he felt to the couple, the way he couldn't move on, the way it killed him to have to go back to his coven—was that normal? He didn't think it was, but after a while, he didn't care anymore. It was now normal for __**him**__._

_His reason for being connected to the couple—who he came to know as one Charlie and Renee Swan—came ten months later in the form of a newborn baby—Isabella Marie Swan. She quickly became everything to him. She took over his thoughts, took control of his heart, became his world—became his __**life**__. He knew why, too. It didn't take a genius to figure it out._

_She was his mate. _

_Isabella Marie Swan was the one he'd been waiting for all along._

_Seeing her in the hospital was difficult. He could move fast so none of the humans would be able to detect him, but that didn't give him enough time to look at her. He could be visiting someone in the hospital and just liked to watch the babies sleep, but that lie began to wear thin and the nurses were becoming increasingly worried about his obsession with the babies._

_When the Swan's were finally able to bring her home, he was ecstatic. It was easy to spend time with her, then, and for a much longer period. _

_Charlie and Renee were good parents, but he still didn't like the way they treated baby Isabella. They could have been much better—he could have been much better to her. He could give her anything she wanted, whenever she wanted. He could give her the kind of love and pleasure that they couldn't. He could give her the world, and they could hardly give her Christmas. _

_It was with those thoughts in mind that he finally introduced himself to them. After all the pleasantries and small talks were over, he revealed his purpose for showing up at their home so late in the night: he wanted to take little Isabella Swan off their hands._

_Their initial reaction, of course, was shock, but then they were just angry. Their anger only intensified when he gave them a list of things they were doing wrong, followed by an even longer list of things they were doing wrong, letting them in on how he'd been watching them._

"_You'll soon come to see things my way, Mrs. Swan!" the prideful Cullen called out to her after her husband slammed the door in his face. "I won't give up that easily!"_

**~HTH~ **

_He hadn't been able to return for months after that. Everyone in his coven was getting suspicious, so he had to still the calm to prevent the storm from approaching. When he was finally able to go back to their home, they were gone. All of them were gone, and there wasn't a trace as to where. They'd been gone for so long that he could barely catch their scent inside the home anymore. _

_It took multiple phone calls, but he finally found them. They'd gone and moved to Texas. _

_To say Edward Cullen was furious wasn't enough to convey just how far gone he was. There was nothing to describe the rage that burned inside him. It was pure madness. There weren't enough animals in the world to help cure him of the burning hatred that was set alight inside him._

_Finally, he found the thing that would help him: revenge—vengeance. He would right the wrong done to him by hurting the young couple the way they'd hurt them. He'd make them feel the pain of losing Isabella the way he'd felt it, but first, he'd drive them mad. _

**~HTH~**

_Paranoia was an ugly thing, but Edward soon came to find the beauty in it._

_For the next four years, he toyed with couple's minds. He played on their fears, one-by-one revealed the skeletons that were better left locked up, "misplaced" Isabella on several occasions and killed a few of their friends just for fun._

_They were terrified, but they weren't stupid. They knew who it was, they knew he wasn't human and they knew they couldn't beat him. He could have kept messing with them for a lot longer than he had been, but eventually, they just grew tired. They were so exhausted, so done with constantly looking over their shoulders, friends dying and their daughter being in danger._

_If there were a reason to continue playing the game that Edward Cullen had started, they didn't look for it. What was the point? The longer they stayed alive, the more he began to use Isabella against them._

_They didn't want to do it anymore. They didn't want their daughter to have this life._

_That was how they found themselves saying their final goodbyes in the dead of night in the middle of God only knew where._

_..._

_ In one last futile attempt to save not only Isabella but also themselves, they packed up enough clothes and money to last them a few weeks and then left in the middle of the day without warning._

_For two hours, the couple had peace for the first time since he'd shown up at their door. Isabella had fallen asleep, Kansas was blaring from their speakers, and they still had each other._

"_I will always love you," Renee had told him, taking his free hand in hers._

_Charlie squeezed it and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. "I've never regretted a thing."_

_They drove in silence after that, enjoying the last few hours they had left._

"_Carry on, my wayward son. There'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest. Don't you cry no more," Kansas commanded._

_..._

_They felt it the minute he had caught up with them. The hairs on the back of their necks stood tall and their hearts beat at a dangerously fast pace and the sky darkened. Even in the midst of a battle__—they'd been beaten down so much and lost so many people that they began to feel like soldiers in a war__—they'd still found the time to laugh at **that**._

_____With one last kiss to her hand, Charlie released it so he could have both hands on the wheel. With a nod from his wife, he quickly veered the car to the right, causing Isabella to jerk awake in a fright. Renee did her best to console the child, her clearly sensing something was wrong, while Charlie stepped on the gas, driving in the shoulder lane until an opening leading toward the woods came up._

_____Once they so deep in the woods that their car could no longer drive, Charlie stopped the car and got out. He grabbed Isabella's suitcase from the back, Renee got Isabella out the car, hoisted the girl up on her back, and they took each other's free hand and began to run._

_____Running was useless when you were dealing with a creature such as Edward, but they were going to do it anyway. They were going to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible._

_____..._

_____Night eventually fell on them, and though they hadn't seen him yet, they knew he was still chasing them. What they didn't know was what he had planned, and that scared them. _

_____"Charlie, I **can't** anymore," Renee had cried, slowing down. Her throat was sore, her lungs ached and her legs had died on her miles ago. She began to cry but continued to run nevertheless, gripping onto his hand tightly. "I'm so tired."_

_____Charlie nodded. "I know, baby, **I know**."_

_____"No!" she exclaimed, stopping so suddenly that he almost fell. He straightened up and turned to face his wife, his already broken heart completely dying out, then, at the look on her face. "I'm exhausted and no amount of sleep could help me. I can't keep living like this; I can't keep running. I don't want to anymore.** I'm tired**!"_

_____Charlie dropped the suitcase and used that hand to wipe away the tears that wouldn't______—**couldn't**______—stop falling. She gave him a pointed look and used her free hand to away his tears, and he gave a watery chuckle, nodding._

_________________"You know I hate to see you cry," they both said at the same time._

_________________Charlie smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes______—it hadn't in a long time. "I'm tired, too, __sweetheart. So **very**, **very** tired. Looks like we're not the only ones, though," he mumbled, referring to their sleeping daughter. "She always has been able to sleep at the oddest of times, hasn't she?"_

_"Yeah," his wife answered, laughing quietly. "She learned how to adapt to our hippie lifestyle, I guess." They were able to share a quiet, genuine chuckle from that one. "Are we..." Renee couldn't finish._

_Charlie nodded. "Yeah. We're done."_

_She nodded, and he gently roused Isabella awake. "Time to wake up, darling."_

_It took a few tries, but Isabella finally woke up, eyes wide as she looked around in confusion. "Hey. What's the big idea? What's going on? Can I get down?"_

_Her parents laughed, always finding a reason to smile because of her, and her mother nodded, carefully setting her down when she unhooked her arms from around her neck._

_"Isabella, there's a lot of things your mother and I never got to tell you..."_

_Charlie's words were cut off by a loud, ear-piercing whistle. He and Renee stiffened, while Isabella looked around, even more confused than she had been when she woke up._

_"What's going on?"_

_"I've just come to take what's mine, is all, Isabella. No need to be scared. I promise," was Edward's reply. Seconds later, he stepped out from behind a tree and into their view, wielding an ax in his hands._

_Isabella stepped behind her mother, instincts telling her to be very wary of this man, and Charlie stepped in front of his wife, wanting to protect them both, though he knew he could do no such thing._

_"We haven't done anything to you," Charlie said. "What is the point of all this? How can you possibly get any satisfaction out of this, you sick bastard?"_

_Edward moved quickly so he was in front of the human man in a blink of an eye, easily scaring them all, and smiled. "You've done the worst possible thing to me...You took my heart and tried to keep her from me."_

_Things escalated rather quickly from there. Charlie and Renee were barely able to get out their last "I love you's" before Edward began to swing his axe, first decapitating them and then hitting them over and over with it wherever he pleased, hacking them into small pieces._

_When it was done, there was blood all over. _

_Poor, little Isabella was **drenched** in it. She was also covered in bile and mud, too, and the only reason Edward stopped in the first place._

_"I'm so sorry you had to see that," he said, eyes filled with pity. He didn't regret his actions, but his heart ached for the little girl that he loved so dearly. "I'm sorry that I hurt you." He took a step closer to her but stopped almost immediately because she began scream loudly, sending dozens of birds flying away._

_She was so terrified, and confused, and lonely. She was hyperventilating so bad that Edward began to worry, having never witnessed a panic attack so severe in person before._

_"Please stop crying," he begged, dropping to his knees in front of her. That only made things worse. He was growing increasingly worried and irritated, and he didn't know what to do. He knew he couldn't call Carlisle, so he went for the next best thing: he compelled her. "Stop crying and breathe," he said calmly, looking her square in the eye._

_Her pupils grew as her mind became his, and she did as she was told instantly._

_"Good girl. Now, I have to get home. Since I can't take you with me, what I'm going to need for you to do is run. Run until you reach a house, go inside, and then stay," he commanded. "While you're running, forget my face, forget my voice______—forget I even gave you this command. I'll be behind you the whole time to make sure you're safe. When I say go, you start running. Nod once if you understand me."_

_______She nodded._

_______"Good girl. Go."_

_._

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_._

"I never followed you into that house to make sure you'd be with someone who could take care of you, and I always regretted it to that day because I could never find you again, but I don't anymore," Edward said when he finished recounting his story. "I still can't believe that of all the people and things that could have found you, it was Peter and Charlotte." He shook his head, laughing. "What are the odds of that? Anyway, I don't regret it any more because had I gone in there, they would've known it was me, and I never would have saw you again. I'd probably be dead right now, in all honesty."

I didn't understand how he could be so okay with what he did, how it didn't bother him in the slightest. I _literally_ felt sick to my stomach, and he was laughing.

His hands were suddenly on both sides of my face, and I could feel his cool breath fanning over it. "Please don't cry, Isabella..."

"Don't call me that!" I screamed. "Don't talk to me! Stop touching me!"

He didn't listen to me, though. Instead, he quickly untied my wrists, laid down, and then pulled me into him. No amount of kicking and screaming I did helped me get away from him.

"Isabella, aren't you proud of me? I've finally told you the truth. I feel so free. I feel so damn free!" he exclaimed.

He began to place light kisses along my neck, and I continued to scream, trying to fight him off. He locked his arm tightly around my waist, though, pinning my arms, and I only managed to make myself tired.

"Stop!" I begged.

Again, he didn't listen. He kept up the kisses to my neck, but he started to rock me, too, humming sweet lullabies in my ear like that would anything.

"Just go to sleep, love. You'll feel better in the morning."

I doubted it, but I did as I was told anyway, knowing sleep had to be much better than the hell I suddenly found myself in.

He began to hum _Carry On My Wayward Son_, and I sobbed myself to sleep.


	30. Chapter 30: A Beast Comes Home

**Highway to Hell**

A|N: The chapter I'm sure you've all been waiting for. A line from lifelesslyndsey is used. I've been obsessed with it since I first read it. If you know her work or her stories, let me know if you found it. If not, go read her stuff!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own **_**Twilight**_** or anything dealing with the series**.** I am merely borrowing it.**

Note: I couldn't have watched Breaking Dawn, pt. 2 at better time! Wow. Holy, ohmygod. I cannot control my feelings. I feel so freaking inspired and ready to write and get this story started. I'm a bit disappointed with how Peter and Charlotte ended up looking, though. That is not _**at all**_ how I pictured them. Those **aren't** my Peter and Charlotte. My Peter is what I pictured Garrett (Lee Pace) to look like. I always thought Garrett was pretty big like the guy from The Patriot (main good guy, can't remember his name), but I am _NOT_ disappointed, I can assure you. Him, Eleazar and Alistair ;) Anyway, Garrett from the movie is my Peter. Char is a bit like Tanya, but not exactly. I'm still looking for her.

_Chapter 31: A __soldier—**a**__** beast**—has come home_

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They'd all been prepared to kick his ass the moment he stepped through the door. They'd been ready for it ever since they realized he wasn't planning on coming back after leaving for his "hunt" as he'd told them. "How could he do that to Bella?" was the question they'd all asked themselves. "How could he do it to _himself_?"

However, right as they were all thinking about what they would do to him when they saw him next, Alice let out a gasp so full of fear that the others were immediately stricken with their own terror.

"Alice, what are you seeing?" asked Carlisle, kneeling in front of her. "Is it Bella?"

Alice wasn't listening, though. She was too busy thinking of all the ways that she could escape him, letting out a choked cry.

"It's no use!" she yelled, grabbing hold of her hair and holding on to it tightly. "No matter where I go he _finds_ me!"

Before anyone could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps and vicious growls met their ears; before they could even blink, the front door of the small home was being torn off its hinges, and standing before them was not a man but a soldier—a beast.

Alice's strangled cry of remorse could only be heard for a second before the beast had her pinned to a wall, twisting her arm until it could no more—until, if he turned even slightly, it would tear off.

Alice's breathing came in quick, stuttered gasps, eyes filling with venom in place of tears, and she looked down, too afraid to look at the growling thing in front of her.

Just as abruptly as they heard his growls coming, they heard them stop.

"Where is she, Alice?" His voice was low, calm and controlled, and only his eyes gave away the storm raging within him.

Alice whimpered. "I-I don't know. I swear, I don't know."

"I ever tell you what my favorite hobby was back in my camp days, Alice?" asked the beast, voice as still as the ocean after a storm. "If you guessed killing the others, which I know you did, you're wrong. Killing them was too easy, you see, and far too boring. No, what I liked to do was rip them a part slowly, a limb or two each day. I liked to watch my venom drip all over them. I liked watching the pretty things burn. After they had begged me for death for a few days—sometimes weeks—I would put them back together and start all over."

No one in the room was breathing anymore. Peter and Charlotte shuddered; they remembered those days more clearly than all the rest.

"What I am going to do to you will be so much worse," he whispered so softly in her ear that only she could hear it. "After I am finished ripping from limb to limb, I am going to tear you into tiny little pieces. I will not stop tearing you a part until I've torn you so much that _I_ physically cannot do it anymore. No part of you will be left untouched. You will feel the venom of _every_ vampire in this room, including your own. You will feel every ounce of pain I give you; you will feel more pain than every soul in hell combined…"

He slid his fingers under her chin and wrenched her head upward, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"And just when you think there is nothing more I can do to you, I will put you back together again and start over. For as much as you deserve to die, I will not grant you the mercy of death. I will not tire of breaking you every day. I will strive on that small speck of hope you will have until it has died. I will feed on your dreams of being free of me until they've dried out. I will live off your fantasy of your mate one day coming to find you until your poor little mind cannot even conjure _that_ image. Then, and _only_ then, will I grant you the mercy of death and bring your pathetic, waste of a life to an end."

This calm, seemingly untroubled, beast was more frightening than when he first came in, and Alice suddenly found herself wishing he would just start growling—and yelling— again. The feelings that were emitting from him, however, gave away the emotional turmoil he was feeling inside. They showed just how unstable that beast really was.

"That _will be_ your fate for an endless amount of time if you _lie_ to me, Alice," he murmured. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead lightly against hers, released her arm, which was now stuck in an unnatural twist, and held onto both sides of her face. "I am going to ask you one more time: where is she?"

Alice was quick to answer. "I swear to you, I don't know. I can't _see_ her! I've _never_ been able to see her! I don't know where she is, and I have nothing to do with this, Jasper. You have to believe me. You can _feel_ me, Jasper. You _know_ I'm telling the truth."

"Do not presume you have even the slightest knowledge as to what I am thinking," he said, carelessly throwing her off to the side.

As badly as she wanted to, Esme didn't dare move to go retrieve her.

In truth, he didn't feel anything from any of them. He couldn't. He shut himself off. If he began to feel again at that moment, not even the beast would be able to control himself. He'd be over taken by not only his emotions, but theirs, too, and unleashed into the world would be a monster that should have been locked away in hell long ago.

He turned to face the others, noting the way they stood up straighter and watched him intently, awaiting orders, as he did this with a grunt of acknowledgement, cocking his head curiously to the side.

"Where is Edward?"

No one answered, though their eyes quickly slid to Peter, but back to him immediately at the sound of his "tsktsk."

"Captain Herrington knows better than to answer a question that isn't directly posed to him," said her, completely reverted back into the creature he used to be. "If it isn't known to whom I raised the question, then I'm afraid we have a problem here."

Their eyes looked to each other again, and he growled in irritation.

"It is not necessary to look to one another to answer a simple question!" he snapped. "Where is Edward?"

Carlisle cleared his throat, understanding that he was the one being spoken to. "He was home with us, but when we realized he had gone, it was…it was too late," he whispered, voice low and hoarse, wary under the attention from the Major. "I…I don't know where he is."

"How is it that you call this boy your son, yet you have no idea of his whereabouts?" he questioned, appearing in front of Carlisle's face faster than even they could see, causing them all—save for Peter and Charlotte who were now accustomed to the speed that was their god—to jump.

"Hmm. I see. It's rather curious how each of you seem to know nothing tonight. Rather curious, indeed. Say, if I shoved your head up your asshole, would you be able to give me the answers I want, then?"

Carlisle flinched.

As he was the only truly brave enough to speak when not spoken to, the only one who could possibly get away with it, Peter spoke, "Sir."

Within a fraction of a second, Peter found himself face-to-face with his own personal god.—the only living thing on the earth that he feared. He was face-to-face with his master, his sire—his brother. Their red eyes reflecting all their pain and anguish back to each other.

"I can assure you that no one is lying to you, Major," Peter murmured. "We've only just become aware of Edward's absence…and his responsibility for the situation we're in now."

"'And his responsibility for the situation we're in now,'" he repeated mockingly. He put his hands behind his back, taking a step closer. "_Under your watch,_ _my_ _mate_ was _taken_!" he yelled in the Captain's face, every emotion he wouldn't actually allow himself to feel in his voice.

He moved away, back to his spot behind the coffee table, and glared at the others. "_And under your watch, this boy was able to take her!_" he screamed.

Before either of them could register what was going on, he had Carlisle and Esme pinned against the wall, squeezing at their necks until they shattered, effortlessly decapitating them.

"Under your watch," he said to them, knowing they could still hear and understand him, "he was able to live." Just because he could, he stepped on their hands until they shattered much like their necks had.

He spared a glance at the others, most of them unable to keep the shock and horror off their faces, before he began to pace quietly, looking much like a caged tiger, patiently awaiting the moment he would be able to spring into action.

Who he would pounce on first wasn't yet made obvious.

The pain he was feeling at the loss of his mate pierced his heart, but the pain _she_ was going through coursed through his bones, her fear burned his skin, and her screams—oh, how he could imagine her screams of terror—echoed around in his head, and if he didn't get them to stop he could scream himself.

Her screams were imagined, but the feelings were not—he was only feeling her from wherever she was.

He didn't dare hope she was nearby. He knew that wasn't the case.

It was her calling out to him.

She was calling out to him.

Bella.

His mate.

A ferocious growl sounded in the otherwise completely silent house, startling the other vampires once again.

"You two," he barked harshly, looking toward the Captain and his mate, "get started on finding out her whereabouts. One of you"-he turned his haunted eyes onto Rosalie and Emmett-"explain to me how he was able to get to my mate. _If you were all home together, how was this able to happen?__**"**_ he bellowed, in Emmett's face now.

"You pride yourself on being the toughest S-O-B out there, yet this happened under _your_ watch," he said calmly. "How?"

He went to say something more, but the slightest movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he watched, with his head cocked to the side just a bit, as Rosalie wrapped her arm around Emmett's, holding on tightly to his bicep.

"Ah. I see what's going on here. A united front between soul mates"-he put his hands on either side of her head and twisted it until the sickening crack of her broken neck could be heard-"maybe if I had mine, I'd appreciate it a bit more."

The sound that came from Emmett as he watched his mate fall limply to the floor was heart-wrenching. From upstairs, Peter's quiet murmuring could be heard. He felt as if his gut had suddenly twisted into tiny knots as he looked at Charlotte, afraid of what fate she'd meet if he didn't come through.

Back downstairs, Alice pressed herself firmly against the wall and shut her eyes, trying go as unnoticed as was possible.

"I ask you _again_: _how_ was he able to take her if you were all with him?"


	31. Chapter 31: Et tu, Edward?

**Highway to Hell**

A|N: Let's pay the Cullen's a little visit. It all gets better from here. The reviews were wonderful! Chapter title is from Julius Caesar (Shakespeare). Also, I really like the update to the site. Very nice.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own **_**Twilight**_** or anything dealing with the series**.** I am merely borrowing it.**

_Chapter 30: Et tu, Edward?_

* * *

—**Before**—

Unbeknownst to everyone, Carlisle had been intently watching the young Cullen for quite some time. He had grown suspicious of his beloved son some odd years ago, had grown wary whenever he left the house for an extended period of time. He swore to himself to never take his eyes off him. What possessed him that day, he would never know.

Unfortunately, Edward wasn't stupid. He knew he was being watched. Yes, Carlisle had perfected the art of hiding his thoughts from him much like Alice had, but that didn't change anything. Where he perfected protecting his mind, he lacked everywhere else. For a vampire, Carlisle didn't have one hint of subtleness in his body.

He also didn't like beliving that people—whether human or not—had any kind of darkness in them. He liked to give them the benefit of doubt until proven otherwise.

This naivity would no doubt be the reason he was no longer around to live out his eternity.

* * *

Back on the other side of the house, the most active couple—or, since Carlisle and Esme could hold their own against them any day, "shameless" would be the more appropiate way to describe them—were at it once again. Lost to everything but the other, how could they ever have suspected their day would have taken a turn for the absolute worst?

"Emmett, that's probably the tenth time my phone has rung," Rosalie murmured, pulling away from him.

Emmett shook his head and pulled her back down. "Don't be silly. It was only the fourth. I counted for you."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and went to say something more, but he captured her lips in another searing kiss before she could.

"If it's really important," he began after they broke a part, taking unnecessary breaths, "they'll leave a message. No, they'd come to you. I doubt it is, though. You know those bill collectors have been after you ever since you maxed out."

Once again, Rosalie rolled her eyes. She'd accidentally maxed out one of their credit cards, and he refused to drop it.

"Besides, isn't kissing me so much better than taking phone calls?"

She climbed off the bed, began putting her hair into a ponytail, and smirked. "Yeah, it is."

Emmett moved to sit on the edge of the bed, opening his legs just enough so his mate could step through them. He placed his hands on her hips and trailed them up to her waist and back a few times slowly, tracing random patterns with his thumbs as he went.

"We can't change, but I swear you get sexier every day," he murmured, which made her giggle, and then started trailing light kisses along her neck.

A quiet sigh of pleasure escaped from between her parted lips, and she tangled her hands in his hair, stepping closer to him. "Little compliments like that can you a _long_ way, babe."

"I hoped so." He chuckled.

After he unzipped her dress, she shrugged her shoulders and let it fall. Right as she went to push him onto his back, they heard someone coming, and their room door burst open.

"Edward!" they exclaimed together.

Rosalie was dressed before he had even touched the doorknob, but she still moved behind Emmett, not at all comfortable with having another man barging into their room right as they were about to have sex. It wasn't a group, but it was still one more too many.

While the busy couple had been blocking out everyone and everything around them, Edward had been wandering about the house, trying to recruit people.

"Edward, get the hell _out_ of here," Emmett growled. "Whatever it is you want, the answer is no."

Edward grimaced. The things that were going through both his and Rosalie's head were downright awful. He couldn't understand how anyone, human or not, could be so vile and uncaring; he couldn't understand how they could be so _disgusting_.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, sounding sincere even to his own ears. "I'm just trying to go hunting, and I'd like some company. I'd go by myself, but, you know, I don't want to…"

Emmett glared. "Like I said, the answer is no. What the fuck is your problem, dude?"

"Really, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm just trying to get some company."

"Well, you're not getting it, so leave," Rosalie snapped.

Edward nodded, seeming to be remorseful. "Again, I'm sorry. I'll go now."

He turned to leave, but before he could, Emmett stopped him. "What was that?"

"What?" questioned Edward, turning back to face him.

"First you come barging in here without permission, and now you're taking shit?" Emmett was getting angrier as the seconds ticked by.

Edward chuckled and held up a pen. "You borrowed this from me about three and a half months ago. I only wanted it back."

In reality, what he had really taken was Rosalie's phone. Again, Edward wasn't stupid. He knew who was calling; he knew that day would be the day they finally caught on. The day they finally became half as smart as he was.

It was funny to him, how easily everything worked out for him. Jasper was gone, off whining over the rejection Bella had put him through. Carlisle was slacking on his "watching" him. Esme was much too sweet for her own good to notice anything off with one of her "children." Alice was stupid, oblivious to her surroundings because she was in love with him, therefore she could not "see" him for what he was. As for Rosalie and Emmett, the two of them were so far gone in each other that problems barely even registered on their radar.

"Decided to go hunting on your own, then?" Carlisle asked when Edward walked past his study. "I can come if you're _really_ desperate for company," he told him, though he was distracted, rapidly jotting down notes in his journal from a new medical textbook he'd gotten.

"No. I think the time alone may do me some good. Clear my head of all thoughts but my own," he said.

Carlisle nodded. "That's understandable."

When Edward was gone, Carlisle removed the medical textbook from his eyesight, it having never been what he was truly working on, though he did continue to write in in his journal.

.

.

.

.

—**_Meanwhile on Edward's hunt_**—

Edward ran westward, running until there was no chance that he could be overheard.

"It took you long enough," Jacob muttered, scowling.

He shrugged. "I had to make my leaving believable. Forgive me for wanting to get out of the house without someone questioning my motives." When Jacob rolled his eyes, he growled in irritation. "Look, if you're not going to help, then fine. Leave. I'm starting not to care anymore. If you're going to stay with me, then stop being a little bitch and actually _help_ me."

Jacob's eyes narrowed and he thought over everything. Literally in an instant his life had changed. His life went from ordinary boy to every day hell. One minute, he was a teenage boy; more furious than he had ever been in his life, and the next he was a giant dog. Suddenly, his friends were his friends again, and the reservation gang-bangers were suddenly his friends, his family—his pack.

Jacob, he quickly found out, was a shape shifter. The wolf gene, he was told, was thought to have died out, but vampires—the Cullen's—returned to town, which once again offset said gene.

He hated the life that was thrust upon him with a passion. The pressure was too much, the expectations too high. As if turning into a wolf wasn't bad enough, he was told he would eventually have to take his "rightful role" as alpha. He had to be in control of a dozen other wolves. He had to protect them while at the same time protecting an entire town.

Everything was so bad that he considered killing himself. He was going to—jumping off the highest mountain in all of Forks, Washington seemed to be a good way to go—but he was stopped, told it wouldn't work.

"_It'll feel like a thousand pound weight has crushed you, and it will feel that way for hours. You will be in the most excruciating pain you will probably ever face in your life," Edward had told him that day, knowing his thoughts. "But you won't die."_

After that sad, rainy day up on the highest mountain in Forks, Washington, the two had become inseparable. Yes, their relationship had been extremely rocky at first, but the more time they spent together, the closer they got, the more stable their relationship became. Sometime between all the sneaking around and fits of laughter, Jacob had fallen in love with the friendly neighborhood vampire.

He had been in love then, and he was in love now.

"If I didn't love you so much," he began in a whisper, "I would walk away."

Edward's smile was small at first, but it slowly grew as he realized he had officially won one of his lovers over. If he wasn't so eager to finally get the other, he'd have gone over and kissed him the way he deserved to be kissed.

"I don't want to do this for the rest of my life," Jacob mumbled. "If we're doing this, let's go already."

Edward nodded in understanding. "You go now. I'll meet you there."

"Why?"

"There's something I need to get first," he explained.

.

.

.

.

—_**Where we last left of with the other Cullen's**_—

Back at the Cullen mansion, a few hours had passed, all of them none the wiser to what was going on a mere fifty miles away. No one felt out of place until Rosalie began to panic.

"Has anyone seen my phone?" she asked, running around the house in search for it, tearing it a part as she went.

Emmett frowned, following her around. "It's in our room."

"_Obviously_ it isn't." She turned to face him, glaring. "If it was in our room, do you think I would be losing my head trying to find it?"

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I was only trying to help. Why is it so important that you find it, anyway?"

"Early this morning, Peter told me to expect a phone call from Bella," Rose explained. "He wouldn't tell me why—I'm not sure that he could—but to just expect it and be ready to do as she requested. I was so caught up in what we were doing that it kind of slipped my mind, I guess."

This time, it was Carlisle that spoke. "Why?"

Fortunately, Carlisle _wasn't_ stupid. He was slower at figuring things out than Edward was at plotting them, but he wasn't stupid.

For 13 years, Carlisle had been jotting down notes in his journal—notes about the disappearance of one Charlie and Renee Swan. How he came about doing this, he would never tell, but he spent those 13 years trying to figure out how it happened and why.

He hadn't realized that the couple's child had survived until he met her. He knew who she was the second he laid eyes on her. How could he not? She had her father's eyes, and her mother's smile, and her cute, little button nose. It was little Isabella Swan in the flesh.

From there, he and Peter worked together to find the monster that orphaned Bella. (How those two came to work together would be a story saved for another time.)

Never in a million years would he have thought it was his own son.

But the notes all added up.

"He said it was time."

Before anyone could further question Rosalie, Alice came running down from her room, eyes wide and frightened.

"Carlisle," she choked out.

His phone rang, and he answered it. All eyes turned to him, and the mood finally began to catch up with the actions of the day.

"It's Edward."

—**After**—

"He's cut me off, I don't know exactly what's going on, but I know it's bad," Alice said. "Edward has gone completely off the grid. I can't do anything about him now."

With a scream of frustration, Rosalie stopped running and tackled Alice to the ground, hitting her as hard as she could wherever she could. Alice fought back as well as she could, but there was hardly any point. Rosalie was much stronger and much angrier, and she wasn't going to let Alice go until she was dead.

"Enough!" Esme roared. Grabbing Rosalie by her hair, she yanked her back, throwing her half a mile across the other side of the forest. She helped Alice up and then glared at the two of them. "Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to solve _anything_. It will _not_ get us Bella back. All it's doing is wasting time. I'd rather not have my time wasted when it could be used to find Bella. Don't let this happen again, you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Alice mumbled, hanging her head.

Rosalie scoffed. "Honestly, Esme, I _don't_ understand you. You're standing there going on and on about how us fighting isn't going to help Bella, yet you're the main reason Bella's gone! Time after time, we have had the opportunity and reason to take them both out—Alice and Edward—but you always say no. You always have to try and keep the peace. You know what, Esme? You are not at all the good judge of character I once thought you were. You're not at all the mother I thought you were. A good mother knows when to both protect her children and when to set them free for their own good."

"Rose!" exclaimed Emmett in disbelief. "Don't."

Alice couldn't look at them for the guilt would not allow her; Esme looked as if she was going to start crying at any moment; and Carlisle seemed to not know what to do.

As fate would have it, it didn't really matter _what_ he did.

"Give us a reason why we shouldn't kill you, and then watch us do it anyway."

Standing back-to-back, the Cullen's looked around in surprise as they found themselves surrounded by a dozen wolves. The (very) naked Sam stepped up, his body shaking violently from the rage boiling within him.

"My family and I have done nothing wrong," Carlisle said. "Nothing in our treaty was broken, and we do not want a fight."

Sam growled. "Unfortunately, _we do_. No official agreements of the treaty were broken, but we find corrupting, coercing and kidnapping one of our own a pretty big violation. Had we done the same, you'd be doing this very thing."

"We haven't done anything like that," Rosalie protested, shaking her head. "We don't want to associate with you, let alone kidnap you and put up with your foul smell and uncontrollable tempers for longer than we would have to."

Taking another step forward, Sam barked, "Your brother doesn't seem to harbor the same feelings."

"What?" they all said together, eyes widening.

Edward working with the dogs was the last thing they expected.

Their shock seemed genuine.

"Are we supposed to believe that you didn't know he was mind-fucking with Jacob?" That came from another wolf that had changed back.

Jacob. His hatred toward Bella had thrown them all for a loop. They couldn't understand why it was there because he didn't even know the girl.

But now it all made sense—his behavior, the person that had been walking in their homes, the dreams—the premonitions—it all made perfect sense.

He was working for Edward.

Only no one knew why except for Alice, and she couldn't bring herself to tell just yet.

"You can believe whatever you want to believe, but if you think you're about to hurt my family, you're wrong," Carlisle said, his voice low and dangerous—more dangerous than anyone had ever heard it. "We're in the middle of a family crisis. My friend—my _granddaughter_—has been taken from right under our noses. Torture is a high possibility considering the person who has taken her, and your wolf-boy is apparently a part of it. Unless you all want to die tonight, I suggest you step aside and let us go."

"Jacob is…what?" questioned Sam, taking a few steps back as he tried to process what he was hearing.

Around them, the other dogs whined. They didn't like that Sam seemed to be having second thoughts. He silenced them with a hard glare.

"Nothing is wrong with your precocious Jacob," Rosalie spat at them, finding it beyond irritating that they were worried about _him_. "But then, everything is wrong with him. You're all idiots! He's not a victim of Edward's—he's working _with_ Edward! They're in this together, though we have no idea why. What is the appeal of torturing another person?" She asked the question, but as she thought about what she wanted to do to Edward and Jacob, she could see it.

Esme sighed and stepped forward, pulling her hand away from Carlisle as he went to pull her back. "Look, just let us go without any trouble. All we want to do is get Bella home safely. If you do that, and we can go to her in time, I promise I will do my best to get Jacob returned to you."

"Looks like someone's vying for the _Mother of the Year_ award," Rosalie muttered sarcastically. If she had anything to do with it, he wouldn't be alive long enough to see the sun again.

"I can assure you that my family and I will do whatever we feel we have to do for Bella, but if I can get him home to you, I will," she continued firmly, ignoring Rosalie. They'd work out their issues later.

Sam took a deep breath. He looked around at his pack, and they all nodded their heads slowly. They understood the vampires' hardships. They would give them the one chance to get back their human before they felt forced to take action.

Esme sighed quietly, the relief evident on her face, in her voice, and in the way her body visibly relaxed, though, given the situation, her body did not completely lose its frigidness. "Thank you."

—**Now**—

Whether replaying the details of the day made them any safer from _him_, Emmett didn't know. It was hard to even take a guess at what was going through his head after he had finished telling him what had happened.

"…" He had gone to say something, but he was temporarily at a loss for words. He honestly couldn't understand how Edward had managed to do it. He had been so carelessly sloppy, too caught up in the "game" to actually pull something like that off.

Yet he had done it—right under all of their noses.

"She called more than once," he finally said. "And you couldn't find it in you to stop. Your mate couldn't find it in _herself_ to stop, though she was aware that _my_ mate would be calling at any moment. Not only did he manage to take her phone right in front of the both of you, but he also managed to fool you into thinking that he was going on a hunt? That 'maybe the alone time would do him so good?'"

Emmett opened his mouth to say something, anything, but he closed it immediately, thinking better of it. Nothing he said would change what happened, but everything he said would (probably) only serve to piss of the Major even more; he wanted to be alive when Edward met his end.

Still, even knowing what would be his fate if he spoke out of turn, Emmett just couldn't resist. He pointed out, "You know, if you had just been a man and stayed, maybe…"

Emmett's body went limp, and he fell to the floor with a hard thud, his head turned at a sickening angle and his arm torn off unevenly.

No. This was _their_ fault. He wouldn't take any of the blame. He might have left, but _they_ stayed. _They_ should have protected her, and they didn't. Emmett couldn't turn _their_ mistakes around on him. He wouldn't let him.

Finally, as alone as he could have been in that moment, he allowed himself to lose the slightest bit of control, letting loose the most heart-wrenching roar that had ever been heard. His emotions spilled off of him in gallons, paralyzing anyone and anything that was able to feel within 30 miles of him. Charlotte and Peter had it the worst, falling to their knees and screaming and crying as well as they could for vampires in agony, though they somehow managed to work through it. Decades after decades of being with him during their time with Maria seemed to have paid off in more ways than one.

Just as quickly as he had lost that bit of control, he got it back—feeling interrupted.

His eyes, that were once a shimmering crimson, were pitch black. They held every horrible emotion he had ever felt in his life. They were haunted; having seen more destruction than any man could ever handle in their lifetime—and mostly by his own hand. They were furious and full of sorrow, his thoughts echoing loudly in them: _death_. Looking into his eyes was like looking at the devil himself.

James fell to his knees, prisoner to the emotions that were forced onto him. He immediately felt a pang of regret. He shouldn't have come. He had a target on his head, and he really shouldn't have come. It was stupid. As he looked over at Victoria, seeing her just as frightened as he, he wished that she would have stayed away.

The fear was suffocating him, eating away at his insides, rendering him speechless, as the man—_Not a man, but a beast,_ he thought to himself—walked toward him. He wouldn't have even called it walking. It was more of a slow prowl—a predator stalking its prey, playing with its food.

The god of war himself was standing above him, and he tried to speak, but the only sound that left his mouth was an almost inaudible squeak.

"I remember you," whispered the god, squatting down so they were eye-to-eye. "You're the other one that was foolish enough to think you could hurt _my_ mate and get away with it."

James' blood-curling scream was his response, but he didn't know why. The thing in front of him hadn't moved even an inch to bring him the pain his heart was suddenly feeling.

"That isn't even the half of what losing your mate feels like," confessed the beast rather softly, standing back up to his full height.

He made to break his neck like he had all the others, not knowing just what he wanted to do to him yet, but right as his hands grabbed hold of both sides of his face roughly, James managed to find his voice, screaming out, "I know where she is!"

Charlotte and Peter came down just as he said the words, the former holding a map in her hands that gave way to the location of their daughter—of his mate.

He looked toward the Captain, and Peter nodded.

They had found her.

"You're rather useless to me now." The enraged god snapped James neck, looking toward his mate. "Run."

She only hesitated a second before moving out of that house as fast as she could.

He turned to face the last two remaining.

"Take me to her."


End file.
